The Age Of Akaige
by Pakkrat
Summary: This is the world of darkness, where life has become death. Raven is chosen to stop this evil with the help of the Titans, Justice League, and even mutants called the Xmen. That won't change the fact a new evil has risen and taken the place of Trigon.
1. Head of the Serpent 1

The Age Of Akaige

By Pakkrat

Chapter 1: The Head of the Serpent (Part 1)

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, Justice League Unlimited, or the X-Men: Evolution shows that will be in the following story. I do own the Kagejin, Akaige, and other types of demons in later chapters unless I say otherwise.

Note: After some of my fellow writers pointed out mistakes, flaws, and such to me I decided may as well try fixing them. Even if that is the case, this chapter is the shortest of the entire story all others will be longer, and sometimes they reach to a 50 page volume in my word-program. It is also a mega-crossover involving a countless array of stories and characters so be warned if you're not interested in reading something with a lot of things going on, sometimes at the very same time, you will become lost. Even so if you get lost the story has so far been getting good review and I personally like it. You mostly should enjoy it too. It has death, murder, and some language, occasionally a mentioned physical relationship but nothing like a lemon, as also other times more conflicting themes appear but if you ever watched anime you won't be too upset, I believe it is still a T rating. Hope you read and perhaps, review? All comments are truly appreciated, and thank you.

The halls stretch on for miles, her eyes squint as they are this holistic white glow that made the lavender eyes strain under their glare. The girl walking slowly down these many halls has a blue/purple hood drawn down, allowing her face to be visible. A black leotard tightly on her body shows the shivers over her, a cold wind blows, yet it is not the wind it merely is a coldness… a chill. Boots colored like her hood clack over the marble floors in every drawn out step. She just walks slowly down the many halls, cautiously down the many halls. Raven was her name, and she has never been this confused. Unless you take account over one of Beast Boy's jokes then she may be only partially confused.

Another occupant wanders these halls too. He is a green skinned, blue caped Martian called J'onn. He was the Martian Man Hunter in some circles, but now he is just as confused with these white halls. He floats close behind her, his eyes are scanning every room. He could not see through the ivory doors on the walls, but each has strange figures and symbols. One door had Egyptian markings, another Celtic, and than Arabic.

Raven sees the symbols of Japanese early oracle. Further she sees the face of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Napoleon. Then she bumps into the Martian, J'onn, "Who are… wait, you're from the Justice League."

"You are also from a hero team, Raven." J'onn does a bow, "I heard you're very strong Raven especially as a psychic," He turned from her and returns to the many doors, "so do you know where we are?"

Raven shook her head no. They hear screaming, "Martin Luther King jr.?" she saw his portrait on that door where the screaming was from. J'onn hears a violent screaming; he sees the form of another man of words, "Adolph Hitler? These rooms, are they a history to earth? It is so," he turned to Raven, pondering why he was her with her, "confusing."

The two wander much farther, passing now the room of the Justice League, Super man, and Raven finds hers, and the Teen Titan doors. If anything it was like a mere representation of the world's history from whence they came. They kept going until they reach the end of the halls, there is only one door left. Unlike the others that were beautiful and well maintained, this door was far from their similarity. The frame and wall it was in was black, crusty, and it seems like it itself was decaying.

Raven is frightened, she trembles as on its face was an S symbol slowly peeling away as chips of red paint, or maybe… blood. "There's something coming…"

J'onn turned to her, and then to the door, "How do you know?"

"This door was my father's, but someone else, someone else is coming." her eyes are watering, "It's my fault for denying the prophecy. The gate is open and now anyone can come through. Why? I thought there are rules… why is someone else coming here?"

"_Not just anyone…"_ both look stunned. The door opens slowly and a black mist rolls out, the halls and doorways are covered as the mist passes so quickly, and it began turning the many other doors as decayed and dead as this one. J'onn raises his hands into fists but his eyes see things, terrible things. Monsters, thousands of hideous, disfigured beasts raising weapons, their claws, and drooling fangs for blood. J'onn is on his knees grabbing his head; Raven falls and holds him, "J'onn!" she screams, and he looks ahead to the door as it opened.

The door now opens wider, Raven looked up and her eyes are horrified by the thousands of swirling fangs, mouths dripping with saliva, and clawed arms reaching out from the door. Soon the claws and fangs are melting back into one thing, one form. Raven feels J'onn push her, "Go…"

Raven looks at J'onn then this thing now emerging. Its many arms and bodies swirl into a long cape, which whirls around its form with many tares and torn holes. The hood is grim, and the eyes of a purple mist swirl to the two points of the onlooker, it looks onto Raven, and it seems to leer on her. Raven is so frightened she flies away, fast. Her emotions so high the doors of the rooms are blowing off the hinges as she flies past them. She goes around a corner, then another. She looks back and it was not there, but when she turns back around she screams as she is now back at the first black door, with that thing reaching up its right arm and a large three fingered claw, clasping her neck tightly as she flew right into the open hand.

The thing holds her neck; it squeezes with little force for it, but immense force for her to bear. "_I am something you should recognize, Raven. You called me here after all."_ The thing looks at J'onn, "_As did your 'Justice' league. Thinking they are gods, that they are above being judged. The mortal realm, the coil of arrogance your organization has bred, it has ordered my very involvement."_ The thing looks back at Raven, "_Yet it is you, my dear. You are the one that removed the claiming demon. This reality, this one of thousands of others now is without a devil, without Trigon the Terrible. So now, I claim it, and I claim it in the name of my people the Kagejin!"

* * *

_

Then thunder, lighting, Raven jumps up from her bed sweating profusely. Was it a dream? She let out a sigh from her chest but there is pain, then she grabbed her throat and cringed, the bruising of three marks are on her neck. Raven's eyes are shaking as that was not a dream. She just damned them all… she just damned their entire world…

* * *

J'onn is opening his red eyes widely; he floats instinctively to the main control room, screaming "Super man! I need to speak with you!"

Standing and watching the computers was a man in a red cape with a yellow insignia. The blue outfit he wore also has this insignia but red over his front, "J'onn? What's wrong?"

J'onn was not sure as his dream brought him great distress. "Superman I need all the records we have on something called… Kagejin."

"Kagejin? I never heard of it before." He looks over to the halls, "Maybe the debriefing computers will have some info."

"Perhaps." J'onn was about to check when he turns on back around, "Send out a message we need the teams on full alert." J'onn now looks at Superman wide eyed; Superman is bleeding from the chest, his face and body torn and bloody. Then as it was there, it was just… gone? The marks, blood, they merely vanished!

Superman raises a brow, J'onn is acting more irregular than you would expect a tall green alien of an extinct race to act. "J'onn, are you okay?"

J'onn looks to the side, shaking his head and thoughts away he speaks, "I… I do not know. Please keep yourself safe."

J'onn leaves a very confused Superman, but he now has the suspicion looking into this matter might be worth his time too. So Superman walks behind saying "Wait up, J'onn!"

* * *

Raven is shifting through her books; she has nothing on that name Kagejin. She tossed a book to the side with frustration, it strikes a pile and soon many of her books seem to avalanche on her floor. One falls at her feet so she turned down to it slowly. She looks onto the skull face and marking across the binding, saying 'Kagejin' in Japanese. She is worried, but picks it up, against all her will and protests internal she opened the binding.

Raven's eyes shake as she reads extremely fast. She read the legends, the demons of shadow. Lead by a hideous ruler named Naimusheshka who later called himself Trigonamu… like her father? No… there was more… much more… The demon lord was destroyed; a new one took his place. A stronger, superior lord. One who knew how to fight, to use tactic and strategy. It knew how to use his enemy's fears against them, and his enemies against themselves. He was ruthless, sadistic, and he has a weakness for realities with a special kind of girl… a half-demoness called… Raven.

* * *

In New York there is a school, a school for the gifted. They say it is for children of remarkable skill and that is so very true. In truth, they are more gifted than most realize, for they are evolution in the making. As many call them they are, mutants. A mutant has been born to a gift of genetic change. They can do things of what most see impossible or improbable. The students now are resting in their home away from home, albeit but one. She was rustling in her covers in a terrible dream. Her body sweats and her hair of brown with a white streak rustles in every toss of her head. She sees her dreams playing out as nightmares.

This young teenage girl stood over a man bleeding badly. He seems to have been badly hurt. When she knelt down to see him, his arms reach up and he grabs her arms, they are bare, and so she screams "No! Let me go!"

Her body is burning; his body begins to twitch in the touch. The girl is named Rouge and her power absorbs the life force of any bare touched person to her own. The man's life dissipates into her own body, when he let go her eyes are full of tears. She knows his life, his history, and she sees the large burning S on her chest now. She was now infused with the last life of another person something she never knew of doing, it may do anything! His body went limp and Rouge knew what she has done. She took his last bit of life into her body and somehow, the powers he had passed to her every cell. Her muscles were tightening from the powers, and soon she felt herself lifting lightly in the air. She was faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap any building within a single bound! She was incredible, magnificent, she was well… Super!

Rogue now began to like the feel of flying, so she swirled about in many directions. Testing out the power she began to plow through buildings and walls. She however, stopped when a wall fell on her. The bricks didn't do anything to her but the sound of clicking made her look into the hole. It was so dark, so frighteningly dark. The clicking sound is light, at first, but soon she heard it get louder and faster. That is when she found a large three clawed hand come out in a strike like a snake. She move from it, watching the claw now sway back and forth like a cobra making a click in each clang of the three claws together. She levitates above the claw before it made another strike, and another, more and more speedily they come for her. She is able to dodge them, parry others with her fists, but they would only intensify with speed and ferocity. Soon Rogue lands on the ground and the claws stop. She is relieved, but then she heard a footstep behind her. Rogue turned to be at the chest of some dark being, soon jotting up her eyes they meet with purple mists. The strange monster man, his arm now stretching to his side, stood above her several feet higher. She would only look in horror of the monster. It rose up its claw, spreading the three apart as they are in the air she grimaces. The next thing is their coming on her, she screams, her body quakes in expectation, then…

She jumps from the bed with a scream, not loud but one for her room to hear. Her eyes shook in madness but soon she let her head hand into her waiting hand. She was safe, and here at home. She soon felt something is there. Looking up slowly Rogue found a large round head with large eyes looking from the foot of her bed. She reached at her alarm clock next to the bed. When she was about to throw it she stops, the thing is gone! Her eyes seem confused and her hand let the clock smack onto the floor soon after. When her mind is buzzing, and her body shaking, the sudden sound of a voice made her jump, it was in her head! "_Rogue, Is something wrong? I feel your mind is a blaze, Rogue?"_

Rogue calms herself, and she answers "No… I'm… I'm just having another nightmare professor. It's okay, sorry if I woke you."

"_Woke me?"_ she heard the chuckle of her professor, Xavier. "_No, I merely felt the distress. Please try to get some sleep."_

"I will…" She didn't expect that to happen. He would not delve into her mind to see what disturbs her, not without consent. So she rolled her arms around her legs and sighed deeply into them. The dreams are becoming more realistic, more frightening. This time she didn't even feel a sleep when she saw something. Her mind now remembered, the clock. She looked over her bed and her eyes are wide, it broke AFTER she saw something at the end of her bed. She looked over the room, worriedly, and soon she sat there looking out the window wondering if maybe she was finally going to do it, like people say she would be the one to loose her sanity sooner or later.

Outside her room floats in the sky a figure. He is in a tunic, and his head is a huge round cranium with two big eyes. He is not there to cause trouble, or to cause anything. He is only meant to watch. He now allowed her to see that which he was asked to let her see. He does not enforce it, nor does he announce it, for she is the one who must take it as her own. That is her duty not his, for he is The Watcher, and all else is beyond his duties.

* * *

Raven sat on her bed looking on the book. It was so terrifying, so wrong and cruel this twist in her fate. She was done! She defeated her father! He was gone, they were safe, the Titans beat the bad! Now the rules changed? She had to go trough it all again? Raven let her head hang more as her sorrow gained control of her emotions. However, hope is now seeking refuge, and so Raven tossed the book away in thought. Raven thought how to fight a demon she never heard of really. Her father was taught to her all the time she lived, but this one, she knew nothing of him but some history and now his name… his name… She now turned up her eyes in tears before wiping them away. Her stand was directed at a trunk and she sighed deeply in realization. Raven walked slowly toward it, a flick of her wrist the lock pops. Raven reached into the trunk and held a book, "Malchior… I need your help."

* * *

The dark world of purple and black is a buzz. A hooded figure walks along with his right claw flexing more and more, his fangs glisten out of the hood in a sickening smile. His eyes peer across the halls of demons, they arescreaming and sharpening blades. He was pleased, the dark lord. His plan to see her squirm was most delectable. It even served to give her a chance, though he doubts she has one, to muster some kind of means to stop him. It was always so enjoyable to give an adversary a chance to put up a fight, before quelling them. "_Soon, I will bring darkness to that reality. It will be the greatest conquest of my career! I will make the realms of damnation and demon know how much stronger we are. The Kagejin will be revered, and so shall I as lord of shadow!"_ The hooded figure walked up and stood at the balcony of stone, overlooking the many demonic shadow beasts below him. "_They will know the name of Kagejin, and their lord, Akaige…"_

Note: Hope you like this is version 2 of this chapter, now with more foreshadowing scenes of things to come, plus basic little edits and re-wording! Hope you enjoyed, please leave a review if you have anything you wish to say. Thanks to Doza and Professor Curly for the ideas on how to fix this story up. Still some work to do I'm sure, but no ones perfect by golly! Lol, till the next re-write and update, see-ya!


	2. Head of the Serpent 2

The Age Of Akaige

By Pakkrat

Chapter 2: The Head of the Serpent (Part 2)

Note: I do not own Teen Titan, Justice League Unlimited, X-men: Evolution, Spider Man, and a lot of other comic crossovers, including reference to Spawn comics demon called Malebolgia. I do take credit for Akaige, and the Kagejin which are original creations of mine for several of my stories and other pieces. The Malchior/Malebolgia being family angle is from an author called Psychic Werewolf Assassin who came up with that. Read his fic Hunter: The Beginning which is also a good source of action and story.

He is being twirled without knowing, transported without being. His arms outstretched and legs pulled down, this man of red and blue, with web like etchings over his red outfit, is being taken through the realm of red and blues to a very strange mistress. This mistress, an elderly woman with a long red fitting that has her legs long like a serpent. "This is the one…" she speaks with a holistic voice, "The one from that world."

"Indeed…" the next figure is in silver armor, his hair black and a goatee his pointed tuffs on the top have a horn like quality. His eyes are golden, and his voice is more demanding than his counterpart. "He is important to that world's people in one region. The region that will be first to be defiled the one called, New York? Is that the one Madam Web?"

"Yes, Beyonder, that is the one suspected will be first to be taken. However, he is unaware of any other matters that may come to play." Web looks at the mortal they have called and flutters her palms speaking, "Awaken Spider-man, your friends need you."

The man who was suspended in the air, Spider-man, has now been dropped with a loud thwack, screaming and then rubbing his back Spider-man looks around seeing the strange world and the two beings… "Oh boy… Toto we aren't is Kansas anymore."

"Kansas? Toto?" The Beyonder is confused but Web looks over with her red glasses hiding her eyes, "It is a comical relief reference to the film "The Wizard of Oz"."

"…Oh…" The Beyonder nods, "I understand. Bring us the other being Madam Web I feel having those two working together may be difficult at first."

"No kidding…" she smirks as she raises her hands, "It will take some time, and I feel Mr. Parker here is getting very inquisitive."

"What?" Spider-Man was looking until he heard his name, his real name, "Who are you! How do you know my name?" He outstretches his arms to the place around them, "What is this place? What does it have to do with me… and, how many licks to the center of a Tootsie Pop?"

The Beyonder looks to the air with a raised brow, "I am the Beyonder, a being of super-natural power and skill. I am able to traverse and alter realms with great ease, but only when I find it is acceptable. Then, your name and identity was easy as countless worlds I have met and dealt with you. We have been… friends… in other worlds, sort to speak. This place is a place of nothingness, not a real realm merely a meeting place for several beings like myself and Web. What this matter has to do with you is the extermination of your world. That last question… I am not quite sure."

"Exter… Extermination? What the hell do you mean?"

A portal opens, and from it falls something strange. Spiderman looks over and his eyes bulge, "You!"

The large black being stands tall, on his chest a white emblem of a spider. His long forked tongue drips with green drippings and his fangs glint with the razor masses. Growling, and snarling the figure sees Spiderman and his eyes seem to go cruelly vicious, "Spiderman, we have been oh so wishing to break you for what we have endured!" the large black beast leaps forth but Spiderman jumps over the lunge to land behind it. "After all, if it was not for us you would have died, yet we were not prepared for the lonely abyss we have been within! Do you know what we have seen, what we have endured? What we, Venom, have been against?"

The beast, Venom lunges again but it is suspended by the Beyonder's powers in mid air, "What kind of sorcery has us?"

"This is not sorcery it is more a distortion of time causing your own form to stay in stasis, but your other means such as life and thought are still playing."

"We are not appreciative of your analysis! We wish to be freed!"

Madam Web raises her hands speaking, "That is only if you agree to behave yourself. If you do we can let you go."

"We make no promises… but we will restrain ourselves as long as we find it necessary."

The Beyonder lets Venom go, "I feel that is the most we can expect from this creature."

"Okay, so you brought Venom and me here but why? You said extermination, what on earth are you talking about?"

"On your earth," Madam Web creates an orb that shows the earth, "That is what we mean. A force is coming that will cause a great amount of terror and pain. A demon will rise to your world and plunge it in shadow."

"We are not amused." Venom sloshes his tongue before crossing his arms "What makes this our problem?"

Beyonder glares his glowing eyes, "That is your home and world you owe it the respect."

"It is only our human side's world; the other of us is from another planet. We do not find being obligated to that world is good for us."

"I see… either way you do prefer being there than being in the abyss, am I correct?"

"This is more enjoyed than the abyss. However, if we must work with this one," Venom points to an agitated Spider-man "We are not sure it is in our best of interests."

"Perhaps, yet while you are free we expect your actions to be restrained. Do what you feel is necessary but remember who here is giving you freedom."

"What about me?" Spider-man shakes his head, "You just call me here, ask… no tell me to work with him, and then you expect to tell me everything is going to be destroyed but you don't even give me a name?"

"I am not allowed to inform you of the evil directly it is against the laws of our council. Instead, Web and myself may only give you a warning and communicate with you after the beast arrives. Until then you must prepare yourselves, only know that New York will be the first place to be ravaged by the coming of the darkness, and you Spider-man are the one we have chosen to assist in saving that city from absolute annihilation." The Beyonder waves his hands, and the two disappear.

"Hopefully they will act on our warning. It is only a shame we can not give them any real information."

Madam Web nods, "Perhaps, but for now what we told them is all we may. Until he shows himself, our hands are very tied."

"I despise when the chaotic ones can gain such leverage."

"It is not our place to hold grudges; we may only act as we are told to do so. Let us return, he must be wondering what we have done to assist in this matter."

* * *

The giant T has four young heroes running around the table. Grabbing at food and items like that the black large metal man teenager, Cyborg lunges his mouth on his fork with three whole pancakes. He inhales, rather than swallows, the pancakes before swishing his sausage links in syrup, "So…" his mouth is muffled with food and his speech causes bits to fall around, "Where's Raven?" 

The green pointy eared boy with spiked short hair nods, "Hey, Cy's right. Even Raven normally shows up for a little breakfast." He then swigs some soy milk and pants a breath after a long drink.

The orange skinned, red haired, and somewhat tall and slender Tamaranian princess, Starfire nods with moderate concern, "I am also of the concerning for our friend. Her actions of not joining our morning meal is as many other, disappointing."

The last, but not least figure in a black and gold cape, his strip mask hiding his strong eyes, and in a red vest stood up the leader, boy wonder himself, Robin. "I'll go check on her." He takes a step but when turning around he finds his fork swirling on the plate and the three are eating as before, "Er… about eating my food… never mind."

Robin goes his little way down the halls to one room in particular. That room was the one that belongs to Raven, the strongest and most allusive of the titans. Even now, Robin kind of ponders about the dark sorceress and her missing breakfast. He knocks at the door, no answer? He knocks again and still the same. He puts his ear to the door, listening…

"So… that's what he is?"

Robin raises a brow, who is she talking to? Then the voice, "Why yes, my dear Raven that is whom you have attracted. I must say, it is understandable with your ongoing attitude you would attract something even I don't want to piss off."

Robin looks back, horrified, and in one foul swoop he kicks the door open and has his staff ready, "Malchior!"

Sure enough in a circle is the page wizard Malchior, or rather only a fake to the real beast behind it. "The one who they call leader. How quaint to see you again."

Robin readies to attack but Raven creates a barrier that then protects Malchior but surrounds Robin after. "What are you doing? He's evil."

"I know Robin!" Raven looks back holding Robin there, "But I… I needed his council about something."

"Indeed. I would like to leave before too much occurs. My uncle, Malebolgia will not be such a friendly being to call upon, dearest Raven."

Raven glares her heated eyes, "Shut it Malchior." She slams the book shut and a small 'Ow' is heard before she tosses it in the trunk. Robin is released but Raven goes to another spell. "Raven, what is happening? Who is Malebolgia?"

"He's Malchior's uncle, didn't you listen?"

Robin glares at her next spell, "What are you doing?"

"Trying to summon Malebolgia. I need to know…" Robin grabs her hand and pulls her to his face, "Robin! Let go, I have to finish before…"

"Before what? Tell me Raven! You owe me at least that!"

Raven is silent at first, her eyes then lower and speaks softly, "I didn't know. After we beat my father something else, some evil saw a chance." Robin raises a brow, "I thought it was okay. You saved me, got me out of there. Now, when my father was gone I figured I could be happy but… the void of evil made something else claim our reality, our world. It wants to take the place of my father, and knowing him Trigon might have helped it happen."

Raven turns and sits to then toss some powder, "Robin… close the door I might need you here."

Robin nods and closes the door too. He then sees her sitting legs crossed, so he does the same at her side. "This spell is very beyond my current skill but if I have you here maybe with your strong concentration and mine we can do this." Robin looks at her as she raises her left hand out, and grabs his other hand with her right, "Ready?"

"I guess… so what is Malebolgia?"

"A demon of great evil. He took a hell dimension as his own after defeating its last lord. The dimension he now rules is the Malebolge, one of the highest demonic realms of all time. They say he's so evil, his very stare is like the star of hell in all its forms."

"… We really want to call on something like this?"

"No… but I have no choice Malebolgia has had dealings and run-ins with this one new demon, Akaige."

"Who?"

(I'm using Malebolgia (Mutant Form) since I find it more evil than the one Macfarlane originally made up in his early career.)

Raven chants the spell she learned from Malchior, the circle glows green and soon a fire pit emerges before them. From it yell moans of torment and pain, a large head comes up with six red eyes, gray scaled skin, and twin horns that bend out like a bull, with smaller horns edging out at the jaw line. His arms plant firmly to the ground as only his upper body was able to enter, he was humongous and in truth he shrunk himself to enter as it was. The back of his head rips open with a second mouth, it opens like a fly-trap with a long tongue swashing around for the scream exiting this second mouth. The first mouth, fitting his jaw with small fangs his cruel smile widens on the two who called him. The hoofed feet have three toes with a fourth back toe gripping and holding strongly as the vortex closes to allow him to hang there. "Daughter of Trigon? Have you decided to come and join the way of your father? I know, it would oh so be enjoyed by your father and myself." Malebolgia's six red eyes seem to slink, they were aligned in a vertical row of two, "Wait… there is more to this. I see in your eyes a wish for knowledge, a thirst for recognition, perhaps? What, oh little sorceress, may I sense you ask from one such as I, Malebolgia."

"I need to know…" Raven gulps, his eyes and form are fearful indeed, "To know about the Kagejin."

The name instantly turns Malebolgia's eyes crueler; more rage is in his face, "The Kagejin! You dare bring their name and thoughts of their arrogance to me?"

Raven lowers her head, Robin snaps "Hey! Don't you talk to her like that?"

The eyes glow and soon Robin is feeling a grip over his throat, Raven screams but Malebolgia continues his telekinetic hold, "I am not one to be trifled with child! I am one of the most feared of demonic broods! The most hated, and respected, I am Malebolgia! However, your mentioning their name does make me ponder," Malebolgia lets Robin go and as he is breathing and being healed the bruises in his neck by Raven, Malebolgia grabs his chin asking "What exactly is it you need to know about the Kagejin?"

* * *

A man punched a punching bag with a strong right then followed by a left. He keeps punching, plowing fists harder, stronger in each strike. He has on a white T and blue jeans with his hands wrapped in gauze. His hair is in two toughs, black in color he's fairly built. Then a voice, an elderly one asks, "Logan?" 

The man who was training turns back his head and goes to a screen, pushing a button he asks "Yeah Charles? What is it?"

"There has been a situation Wolverine. I need you here in the main computer room."

Logan, or as he was also called Wolverine smirks asking "Can I get a bite to eat first?"

"Of course Logan just makes sure you come over when you can."

"No problem Charles." Logan closes off the communication and takes his way on out the door. Passing down woodwork halls after many steel ones, he's now turning into a kitchen. He sighs a little seeing a delicious apple on the table in a bowl. Unsheathing a single razor from his right hand he goes to fork the apple when it suddenly moves off and to someone sitting at the table with. "What the… Hey, Red!"

The red haired girl looks over already biting the apple, "What is it Logan?"

"… Nothing." He snarls a little now reaching for an orange but a puff of smoke and another hand grabs the orange, disappears in smoke, and reappears with smoke at the table, "Hey Jean! So, what are you reading?"

Jean, the red head smiles, "Oh, it's a history book I'm getting ready for the big test tomorrow."

"Test…" the boy who materialized several times has peeled the orange and began eating some slices, "When did they say something about a test?"

"The past week Kurt you know that." Jean gives a sly grin as her blue haired friend with the odd accent pales, "Gee, someone forgot."

"Oh man! I have to ace this thing!"

Logan is curling his right lip at times like this he hates living in a house with super-powered teenagers, mutants. He now turns to see a banana, he reaches but a person runs through the walls, the counter grabbing the banana, and then she skids to the other two asking "Jean? Am I late?"

"No! You're just in time to start studying with Kurt!"

Kurt smiles to the girl with her hair back in a ponytail and looking worriedly at Jean, "Hey Kitty, glad you could make it… of course I didn't even know you wanted to study with me."

"Gee… so lucky." She peels the banana and chomps it with the twitching eye looking at the three of them. "All I wanted was a piece of fruit… one damn piece… in peace…"

Logan turns to leave having a boy walking with red shades, next to him a black boy with his hair shaved fashionably, "If you're going to get some fruit you're too late."

The boy with shades looks as he makes way for the stomping Logan, "What's his problem?"

"Beats me Scott, you know how Logan gets sometimes."

"You're right about that Spyke let's go see the others maybe they know."

Logan storms along meeting one more teenager, the girl has brown hair with a white stripe in it, and black lip-gloss and eye shadow, "What's crawled up your butt this time?"

"Fruit!" Logan storms but stops short from her laughing, "You think something's funny?"

"You have fruit up your butt?"

"What?" He blinks, turning around Logan smiles and sort of snorts a chuckle, "Cute Rogue, why aren't you hanging out with those other brats?"

"I have my reasons. Mainly I'm not in the mood… that, and I kind of don't want to see Scott."

"Oh? You still have a thing for him but Jean has his eyes and ears."

"Yeah that might be it." She shrugs planting her back on the wall, "You worry about yourself and that fruit-salad prairie-dogging your corn hole."

"… Oh very funny." He grumbles off to the main computer room, a small smirk that brat out of them all made him smile actually. They all get under his skin, her especially, but in the end it was the closest thing he's had since a family. Of course, not knowing his past, who and what he really was aside from little tad bits, this place was a welcome change of pace.

Logan enters the computer room and sees in his golden hover chair like device was Charles Xavier, a bald guy without the use of his legs. Either way his power of the mind truly was enough to out do that. Logan also sniffs the air and catches the scent of someone else, a woman he works along side, Storm. "Hey Ororo, so what is all the hub-bub?"

"The professor has been contacted by a friend of his. Some psychic he was talking to warned us of a major concern."

"Oh gee, here I thought it was just some kind of stray cat." Logan smirks to their equal stares, "Hey, a guy can't be blamed for hoping to have a normal day can he?"

"Sadly Logan, the matter is very dire. My friend J'onn is very concerned as he can't find anything on something he saw in a vision. The vision was about some creatures called Kagejin."

"Never heard of em." Logan sees some peanuts and still hungry he moves towards them, "I know, but I used Cerebra and even then I couldn't find anything. Then I felt something in Jump City do you know of it?"

"Jump City? That's kind of between Gotham and Metropolis right? What did you find there?"

"I can't be sure it was like a disturbance more than words." Charles wraps his fingers and cups the bottom of his chin, "I'm concerned Logan, J'onn is not the kind of person to be so scared and if he is this worried I wonder what might be happening. Please go and find out for me." Logan nods and makes to the Black-Jet Storm passes Logan while Professor X says, "Oh, and take the kids with you!"

Logan stops dead on his heels and lowers his head with his fist shaking, "Do I have to?"

* * *

J'onn floats at the screens, moving from one to another he sees nothing special. No search found, No search results, the same little bit of nothing on each screen. J'onn sighs as he turns off the searches and floats down the halls bumping into the green wearing black man with a goatee and ring, "Nothing new?" 

"No Lantern I still see nothing on these Kagejin creatures I dreamt of."

J'onn passes but Lantern grabs his shoulder, "You sure it wasn't just a dream maybe?"

"I'm certain." J'onn floats past to then disappear; Lantern blinks and begins screaming for the man hunter. J'onn soon finds himself in a room full of books. He is confused until he hears a familiar voice, "Hello J'onn."

J'onn looks behind to see the man in gold and blue, a helmet over his head "Dr. Fate? What is this?"

Another voice comes asking "J'onn? Could you please keep yourself from speaking so loudly?" J'onn sees the golden android Amazo, "I am in a middle of a game." With him is a strange silver man with a surfboard and they both are playing chess.

Dr. Fate grabs J'onn and walks him towards a large wall with a frame of gold hanging on it, "J'onn I called you here because a major ordeal is about to occur. I have information you may want to have, this is," Fate hands over a red cover book, "A book on demons called Kagejin."

"Demons? So these monsters are actually demons?"

"A very deplorable kind at that J'onn. The other matter," Fate moves his hand over the frame and soon it waves with purple color, then an image of a flying green rock in space, "Do you know what that is?"

"Kryptonite?"

"Yes, and do you know what that star represents?"

"Represents?"

Fate nods, "The fate of someone you know personally J'onn the fate of his life going on like always. This piece is getting ready to stop wandering space and soon smash down however. The life it represents is about to come to an end J'onn and I think you know what, and who I mean."

"I do not…" J'onn's eyes seem to then ponder and his mind clicks, "Superman, he's in danger?"

"Yes but not in danger he's dying. Or rather, he is destined to die."

* * *

New York city has many a thing to behold. Today, a black limousine pulls in front of a small orphanage. The figure stepping out has a long brown trench, his hair long and his eyes golden like a cat. His strong face snarls, but hearing a girl scream his name his face is warmed, "Mr. Creed!" The man looks up and smirked his feline like features to the girl waving at him from the roof. He screams "Hold on Blink! I'll be up in a minute." 

"She's the one Sabertooth?" the other voice is cold, calculating, and his one eye peek out from the door to the roof, "She doesn't seem all that amazing. Are you sure she is worth my time old friend?"

"You'll see She's a lot better than you give her credit." Sabertooth or Creed as he also goes by now walks into the orphanage with his giant boots making loud thuds. The kindly woman sitting at the table with two other girls smiles, "Oh hello Creed! Blink is doing more of that training you taught her. I have to admit she's a great girl always helping around the house." She sighs, "Still, no one wants her as their daughter because of her looks. I mean, her ears are a dead give away she's a mutant. If only they knew how nice she really is."

Creed nods and smiles, "Thanks Elizabeth. I might… be taking her with me."

Elizabeth looks up stunned, "Really? Oh, that would be marvelous! I know she would love that."

"Actually I have a friend who she'd be staying with in Jump City. I'm hoping you won't mind."

"Not at all Creed. I wish for all my girls to grow up in happy homes." Elizabeth looks up to the other girls and asks them to leave, they do and then she motions Creed to a seat opposite of hers. Creed shrugs and sits down, "What is it?"

"This training, I've watched her for a long while now. What exactly do you have planned?"

"Nothing serious trust me. I only wanted her to be able to protect herself."

"I see… Creed, I never asked before but what exactly is going on here? I saw her use her powers and then the needle things she creates with her hands. Is she supposed to be an assassin? I hoped she meant more to you than that!"

"How dare…" Creed snarls before holding his temper, "Elizabeth, Blink means a great deal to me. You remember when I brought her here?" Elizabeth nods, "That fire, the one that killed her parents and left her an orphan at first no one cared when they heard a mutant was still trapped, even a child mutant. I was sort of off about it too; I didn't normally care about anyone but myself. Then, something about the way the people let the building burn, turning away, it sickened me and I decided to save the kid. When I did, she held my hand… she was so small." Creed lowers his face sadly, "I somehow felt like I had to protect her, to make her life worth while. I know what I'm doing may not be the best but it's all I have. I just hope it helps, I really do."

"You mean the training?" Creed nods, to that Elizabeth smiles and just sighs, "Oh well, father knows best right? She always did train even when you were gone I never could convince her to stop. You better get going, she'll go crazy if you don't hurry up and see her."

Creed gives a toothy grin before going up to the roof. On the roof Creed steps only a step before he hears a strange sound of Blink and then he rolls forward letting the lunging figure pass him. Creed sprawls up, his face a snarl but a sort of grin in it. The girl before him is rolling from her lunge and another Blink sound with a black portal that she disappears into. Her powers were the most amazing; she had the power to teleport anywhere. I mean anywhere, she even teleported to JAPAN in one second, ordered sushi and brought it as a gift to Creed on his one visit. That and her skills as an assassin thanks to the training, she knew how to fight and with her feminine grace she out did the lumbering strength of her mentor. Then the needles, purple neon energy needles the size of daggers, she could plunge them into anything and their energy would normally go through most materials.

"So, you want to play kid? Let's play!" Creed roars and soon the sound is heard, he twirls back and latches his hands on the wrists of the phasing girl to then toss her across the roof and skids her to the edge.

Blink bends up her legs and kicks up to now stand. Standing with her needles twirling in her delicate violet skinned hands Creed glares on his student. She has a green outfit that covers her body as one piece bikini, with a long sash falling between the front and back of her legs then the part stops on the top of her chest cupping her upper chest. She was a matured, young woman, 18, maybe 19 Creed never notices though he notices her choice in clothing but not her. The green boots come up her legs to the top of the lower calf, with black netting up the sides where they undid. Her arms had sleeves, but they were merely sleeves not connected to the dress. Instead they go up the arm to the upper bicep, and latch around the middle finger over the backhand. Her face was slender, alluring, and like her skin all over was, violet. Blink has her hair back in a ponytail, with three stray bangs falling to the front of her otherwise tightly knitted pony. The eyes were white but would glow as her emotions grew, Creed found out early in life her emotions triggered her powers strength. With her pointed ears Blink reminds you more of an elf or something, but she was a mutant and Creed kept her hidden because if any others knew about her powers they most likely would want her. In a second she can appear and disappear, kill a man and be gone, she is to all forms the perfect assassin. "Gee Creed that was a nice throw."

"That and your attacks were a little sloppy."

"I didn't like you calling me a kid," she pouts, "I hate when you call me a kid."

"Well you are you act like one." Creed sees her eyes glare amethyst before going normal, "Angry? Why don't you do something about it?" Creed roars up and his hairs flap in his face with the rushing of his body, claws glaring as were his teeth. Blink uses her needle weapons to bounce off his claws. Creed then leaps up, pulling with his leap the large booted feet Blink teleports in a portal away. Creed stomps down crackling some of the roof, Blink reappears inches behind Creed with needles ready.

Creed swings his animal eyes on her and grips her throat. Lifting her into the air he squeezes tightly, Blink's face shows the pain of her throat being crushed. Blink kicks her legs into Creed's chest so he drops her. Blink sweeps her feet knocking Creed down on his back. She leaps on his chest cradling him under her and with her left hand she grabs his throat while holding a needle to her chin with her right. She halts her attack, looking at Creed who is breathing under her with his wide chest raising her up and down, she panics with a slight tint in her cheeks.

"What's wrong?" Creed swings his right fist into her face and flops her on the ground hard. She tries pushing up but a hand grabs the base of her skull from behind, "Don't let yourself get distracted! No matter what never forget what your objective is!" Creed picks her head up off the ground then slams it deep into the roof. "It is a slim chance and risk to life and death!"

Blink disappears, Creed glares and swings behind himself but a portal has just closed. From behind him again, a portal opens and two green booted heels crack into the back of his skull. Creed stumbles forward grabbing his head, Blink leaps down and rolls to then on her knees grab Creed's feet and flips him on his face. Blink pulls out her needles and tosses them; they bend in on their centers and hook Creed by the elbows on the ground. She forms two more and then repeats hooking his knees, and one more on the neck.

Creed heaves a snort of his nose displacing the dust as his face is trapped to the roof. "I hate when you do that."

"I hate when you throw my face into the ground!" Blink glares with her glowing eyes, "Oh, but I shouldn't feel upset should I?"

"I wouldn't…" speaks a voice. Blink looks to have a foot hit her face and plow her onto the roof hard. She looks up seeing the black wearing man with a large pouch belt. His face is hidden in a black and orange mask, letting one cruel eye look her down. "Hello, Blink was it?" The new man playfully shallows his eye, "Let me see just how strong you are, young apprentice."

Blink watches as the man now leaps up with a staff extending. She forges her needles and blocks the swings of this weapon as much as possible. She realizes this man was very skilled. Between the force of his weapon, and movements of his legs as he tries to get them close to buckle her legs she knows automatically he's not just some lunatic in a suit. Blink disappears and reappears on the edge of the roof far away from the attacker.

The attacker swings the staff down and chuckles, "Is that all you can do? Run away, hide like a little scared child?" Blink's eyes glow a little, "Hm, if so I guess I can just kill Sabertooth and be on my way." The attacker grips his staff and the ends gain pointed edges, "By the way, if you ever learn how to really fight the name's Slade!"

Blink disappears and then appears to catch the staff with her needles. Holding it barely the two bare off the shaking weapons. The next thing Slade knows he's in the air, falling? She somehow took him and her to the middle of the street some feet in the air, then she teleports to Creed. Slade grabs and tosses a hook S. The hook catches onto the edge of the roof and he springs with his cable hook to the edge. Blink tries to pull out her needles but they were down hard. "Sorry Creed! I guess I put more strength behind these ones than usual!"

"Little girl." Blink looks to Slade who tosses his staff to the side and raises his fists, "I'm still standing."

Blink glares her eyes with color before leaping and charging with her needles. Slade taps his forearms to her slashes and stabs, pushing them off and past his sides. Slade then lands a palm strike to her collarbone, making her stumble and grabbing her throat. Slade then roundhouse kicks her face making her twirl in the air before falling on her back. Slade raises his heel over his head and slams it down but hits only the roof, she teleported again.

Slade looks behind himself and then all around, four portals have opened around him, "What the…" a fist strikes his jaw, and a foot kicks out his left leg as a knee slams in his gut while a hand grabs his face and Blink comes out holding his face from that portal to then form a needle with her other hand. With a loud scream she thrusts the needle but two arms cross at their wrist to block. She then feels the hands push her own hand down, and then with a dual palm strike she feels her stomach concave with the strike. Blink is falling back on her knee holding the spot as Slade screams and launches his legs in flurries.

Blink blocks her arms, and even her legs as his kicks were so fast. Finally Blink kicks her leg into his own kick to make him stand in simple awe, and with that moment Blink back flip kicks Slade's jaw springing him into the air. While in the air Blink disappears and reappears over Slade and plows both her feet into his stomach arching him to the ground with a great thud. Slade slams hard and makes the roof sort of crackle before Blink is forming her two needles. Blink raises the needles and readies to stab them down in Slade's head when two hands grab her wrists and wrench her hands behind her back. Blink is screaming and kicking when she realizes it was Creed, "Mr. Creed?"

Creed lets Blink go as Slade stands up rubbing his head, "Well? What do you think Slade?"

"She makes to be an interesting Apprentice. Along with my daughter she might be enough to finish what I started."

Blink looks between the two, "Hey… wait… could some one tell me what is going on?"

Creed smiles, "I told you I would find you a place to stay one day. Well, Slade and I knew each other from a while back. I heard he has some problem in Jump City and he needed help. He asked me to help, but I'm busy with Magneto. So we talked and I told him about you." Creed shrugs, "You don't have to go Blink but it is a choice."

Blink is still confused, "But… why can't I go with you?"

"I don't stick around in one place long enough. Truth is I normally move around so much it makes no sense having you with me. Slade can teach you some interesting skills while me I need to stay here in New York and get things settled. Besides, an old friend of mine called Logan seems to be up to something and I want to check it out."

"So you're leaving already Mr. Creed?" she seems to loose her face and her ears droop. Creed notices and thinks for a second, "Hey," he pulls something off his neck and puts them over Blink's neck, "Here, keep it and behave yourself. Slade might be a bit of a pain, but he's still pretty good."

"Don't worry Creed I'll take care of your… girl." Slade's voice seems playful but Creed ignores, "Alright, thanks Slade. Keep in touch I have to get back before that damn Brotherhood catches on I left." Creed leaps off the roof and makes his way on the streets. Blink watches and twiddles the dog-tags on her neck, "Mr. Creed…"

"Don't worry girl I'm sure he'll be seeing you soon enough. Get your things we have a long flight a head of us."

"Where is your home?"

"Jump City, in the abandoned warehouse district." Blink opens a portal and goes in; returning with some bags she kept bagged, and then grabbing Slade she disappears and soon they both are on a building in the warehouse district. Slade blinks at this, "Creed mentioned your powers are very strong. I will be able to put you to some good use."

Blink watches as Slade grabs her bags and takes them with himself over to another roof, "What exactly do you need me for?"

"To finish what I started." Slade leaps again with Blink following, "To end… the Teen Titans."

* * *

Raven and Robin have listened for some time to Malebolgia and his tales. Many about the demon lord Akaige were merely rumor. It seems, when he actually committed these conquest like wars with an entire world he hardly ever leaves survivors. That means not that much is really known about the demon. Sure, he was a shadow type, has a massive empire, and has skills of combat ascending most of the demon kin. However, where as Trigon the Terrible is recognized on Tameran for his cruelty Akaige is not. Why? Because, if you survived his attacks you never spoke of them. If you escaped a dying dimension you always tried to pretend that war never occurred. Where Trigon lets survivors tell his tales to make fear spread Akaige was not so much a 'let them spread the word' demon. 

Raven sits with Robin, Malebolgia is twirling his one claw over the floor, "May I go now? I abhor being in the presence of mortals like this."

Raven nods, "Yes… Malebolgia."

"Do I not even get a thank you?"

"No."

Malebolgia slinks his eyes before gripping the floor as it widens, "You and your father have much in common. I'll be sure to try and make a deal to get your soul under my control if you'd like?"

"No thank you Malebolgia."

Malebolgia's grin twists, "You're welcome… I knew you'd thank me." He falls into his pit and returns to his hell where Raven closes the portal. She at first just stands there but soon she looks at Robin with her eyes watering, "What are we going to do?"

Robin shrugs, "The same thing we always do stop this guy."

"Didn't you listen? This thing is coming to wage a war. Some times he just plays games, tears into the heroes and lets the worlds be conquered by other demons. This time, he's coming for himself, he's not even… what do we do?"

Robin sees her grabbing her hands, rubbing them in such worry he frowns and hugs her, "its okay we'll take care of it trust me." She lets her head fall on his shoulder, he hears some stuff blowing up outside but he nods, "Let it go Rae, we'll do whatever we can. Trust me."

"I trust you." Raven sniffles and looks up on his neck, "I always do."

Robin smiles from that, "I am the leader after all."

"It's not just that." Raven closes her eyes and he sort of blinks confused, "I believe in you. You always believe we can win."

"Well yeah! We're the teen titans! How can we ever lose?"

Raven looks up at his face so confident and sure. He taps her jaw asking "You want to get breakfast? Then we can tell the team what's going on."

"Aren't you worried a little?"

"Of course I'm worried but we can't just sit back and let this Akaige guy win! Come on, let's get something to eat." He watches her leave smiling, "Thank you Robin."

Robin waits for her to leave before letting his face turn pale and somewhat solemn "This is just great…"

* * *

The lab has many men in lab coats moving and nodding with their tablets being scribbled on. This lab was a special research center designed to study… and eliminate the mutant menace. There were many of these facilities but today this one has a special reason to its men. In a deep, underground portion of the facility three scientists run tests as they watch screens with the diodes connected to something on a table. 

The something is a large robotic figure with red and black metal. The large form is lying without a head, instead a screen is in the center of the shoulders with its wide shoulders the screen was head sized. The figure though large is human sized, somewhere around 6' tall. The android has boot like feet and four fingers on its hands.

The scientists watch its statistics as the machine is working properly. Then the lights seem to go out, the scientists are confused until there is a large spike in the machine. The arms seem to twitch, the fingers flex and soon the screen on the chest turns on and two golden slits appear for eyes. The scientists look confused until the android stands on the table and points its hands on the scientists. The scientists scream as their bodies are tossed, some even shatter under the powerful blasts.

The robot's screen now moves a golden mouth as it speaks, "Analyzing data," The android is levitating from the table towards the doors and guards merely hold up guns to have the hands fire stronger beams that do not shatter, but burn through the men. "Analyzing completed, I am Nimrod, the ultimate Sentinel. I have been programmed…" an explosion from a bazooka hits the droid but it has no effect. "To open the door, and await the arrival of my master, Akaige."


	3. Head of the Serpent 3

The Age Of Akaige

By Pakkrat

Chapter 3: The Head of the Serpent (Part 3)

Note: Read the facts of previous times! I don't own the stuff from TV and Comics! I will let you know if I own something at the end of the chapter, I mean what else do you need to know? Kagejin and those kinds of things I do take credit for. This chapter is the first to deal with actual murder and blood so if you actually are against it, run away! This is a long chapter but well worth the read I believe. After this the violence and such will begin to escalate so as I said before if you do have a problem this may not be the story for you.

Creed somehow knew things were just about to get worse. Maybe the fact of going into the hideout with nothing but black darkness was the giveaway, or maybe the sense he was being viewed with a little more dispassion than usual. "Magneto?"

Creed soon hears a crackling energy behind him the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Creed turns to the purple caped master he serves at the moment, and his specially designed metallic helmet allowing the two cold eyes to look out. "Sabertooth where were you hiding?"

"I had some business in the city Magnus. You know that I was headed out."

"I did and now that you have returned I have word from the X-men."

"You mean on the X-men." The stare of Magneto seems to slink a little, "They scared or something?"

"Yes, they certainly are just that." Magneto turns and makes to the outside. "Something has Charles very worried in all honesty the key signs of fear were playing in his message."

"Message? You mean they found out where we are."

"Most likely they knew of our hideout long ago. It does not really matter as of late Sabertooth; we have more important business to attend to first. We will look into Charles's request after we remove a greater threat to mutant kind."

Sabertooth raises a brow to this remark, "What kind of threat is that?"

"There is a new sentinel model hidden in a secret facility. I found some information on this model they call it Nimrod."

* * *

Titans Tower after breakfast Beast Boy and Cyborg make to the T.V. with Starfire cleaning the dishes smiling and humming. Robin sits with Raven asking "Are you going to tell them now?" 

"I was thinking maybe later."

"The longer you wait the harder it's going to be Rae."

Raven looks at the others all doing their morning routine and she sort of looks over to Robin. He looks at her with a simple resolve before she then bolts off down the hallway. Robin smacks his face and runs after closely while the other three watch a little more confused than usual. Raven tries getting farther down the hall before he caught up, still he catches her far enough from the others that he can scream "Why don't you tell them?"

"I keep thinking about it Robin." Robin blinks confused, "That whole ordeal with my father, Trigon. Now this happens and we just barely escaped that mess. I keep thinking how much longer can I let these things happen?"

"You can't just make things like this not happen… can you?" Raven shakes her head no, "So why not tell the others?"

"They won't be able to take it forever! What about if the time comes and they get upset with me, or sick of me bringing this trouble!"

Robin looks blankly at Raven before smacking the palm of his hand on her forehead "Ow!"

"I thought you were the smart one." Raven looks up rubbing her forehead and he's just smiling, "Look, we have to accept the fact trouble will always be looking for us. If it's not you, it's something else, and eventually something bad was bound to happen. Now let's get back to the others and tell them what's happening."

* * *

The one eye watches intently with the two younger females fighting ruthlessly. One was Blink; the other was a girl of the same age and slightly similar build. The other girl has a skin tight black outfit with orange boots. The outfit is much like Slade's with the exception she wore not a metal mask but more a black/orange fabric over the top of her head tied in the back. Under the mask this other girl's lips are glossed and twist cruelly as she tries to wedge her staff under Blink's legs to sweep the opponent. Blink's eyes widen before disappearing and reappearing behind the combatant as they swung up their staff through the air. Blink now kicks the striking enemy making them falter over on their face. 

Slade has a staff and he strikes the staff on the ground like an instructor would issue the fight is over. "Very good Blink I thought she had you that time. Ravager, a nice try but you need to remember the power of your enemy in this case." Slade nods to their equally tired bodies now sweating and heaving, "Take a break both of you."

Slade now leaves off to somewhere at the side a desk with a computer. Blink and Ravager sit on the floor instead mainly getting their second breaths. Ravager looks at the other girl a moment before pulling off her mask and letting her long white hair fall free. She has a scar on her left cheek contrasting the otherwise sweet looking face. "So, you're the girl my father went after? My name is Rose if you wanted to know."

Blink is silent and sort of frightened, only holding onto the dog-tags Rose raises a curious brow. Slade looks up from his computer to the two, "Blink is fairly shy my dear. It is in part to her history and not knowing all about her family or memories. Don't worry girl as long as you act to the program in this team you will be safe." Slade's eye goes cold on Blink, "However, betray me and I will kill you."

Slade then has something hit his face and roll off. He looks down to the plushy dog "Gee dad! That's not the best way to make someone trust you!" Rose lies back pushing off of her arms, "His people skills suck. Sorry Blink he's okay to a degree, just he's been very revenge oriented since the day my brother…"

"Rose!" Slade's fist slams into the desk with unbelievable rage, "That is not something we need to talk about!"

Rose looks back to her father a little frightened, "I'm… sorry." She lowers her head and Slade looks a little befuddled. He sighs and walks over to pet her hair, "Me too just rest up before this afternoon. We have to deal with those brats this afternoon. Hopefully with Blink, you, and me we can finally finish off this mess."

Slade walks past Blink stopping, "Also, I'm sorry for saying I would kill you. In truth I promised Creed to not harm you and to understand the respect any wishes to either help us or leave us in the next fight. I may be many things, but I keep my word. That's why I keep fighting as it is… I have a promise to keep… to my son."

Slade makes to a set of stairs but he hears a voice, "Clarice…" Slade turns to the still timid looking Blink. "My name is Clarice. Thank you."

"Clarice that is a nice name." Slade nods and makes up the stairs "Until this afternoon good-bye."

Blink looks at Rose, and Rose sort of shrugs, "He's a freak isn't he?"

"Maybe… or maybe I'm the freak."

"Just because you're a mutant? I always see it that it was the actions of a person, not really the way that the person looked."

Clarice, Blink smiles and stands up, "We should train some more! That way we're at our top game!"

"Sure, but maybe a little breakfast? I'm freaking starved!"

* * *

"Early morning transport." The one guard says a little weary. "I hate being with this freak the sooner he's dead the better. Too bad he's a special case and all they give us are batons so we don't accidentally… and I mean 'accidentally' kill him." 

The other guard looks on his partner like he was nuts, "Dude! He's right freaking here!"

"And?" the first guard looks at the taller, much more muscular man between them in restraints that chained his arms and legs, and a mask over his face only hid the smile on his face constantly until the one guard said what he did. "What's he going to do?"

"Kill you…" says the man in a deep and menacing voice, "First; I'll take probably to breaking some limbs mainly to make you recognize how stupid you had been in calling me a freak. After that, I will slowly but surely choke the life from you so I can sense, see, feel all your soul pour out of you."

"Shut-up!" The guard swings a baton on the prisoner which only makes the prisoner buckle slightly and under the mask he smiles wider. "You act all big and bad but I know you're just a scared little punk! You'll be on the S.H.I.E.L.D. transport soon and that means out of me, and everyone else's hair!"

The two guards chaperone to the transport until one mumbles, "Oh… I need to go!"

"What? Now?" They look around and the prisoner shrugs, "I wouldn't mind going to the bathroom before we leave!"

"Really oh man come on!" the aggressive guard looks at his partner and the prisoner "Okay! The bathroom is right around the corner! Just hurry the hell up!"

The two guards rush the prisoner to the bathroom and look at each other, "You go on in I'll be out here! Hurry up we don't want to be late."

The prisoner and guard go into the bathroom and as time passed the second guard gets antsy. "Shit…" he snaps open the door screaming "What the fu…" his eyes are wide to the red room… for the record the bathroom is not a red bathroom it's ivory white, but now it is red. Soon a stall opens and walking leisurely to the sink is the prisoner covered in blood, he looks over and smirks before washing his hands and looking at himself in the mirror. He snorts, wipes some blood off the mirror, and then washes his hands again, "I bet now…" the prisoner muses to the still shuddering guard, "You _really _wish they gave you guns and not clubs."

"Oh god…" he reached for his club but soon as he did that the prisoner lunges up from the sink and grabs his face with his right arm. Pulling the now hyperventilating guard in the air the grip is like a vice crunching his face with pain. The prisoner is smiling with a sort of simple smile, he holds the guard and grabs for the baton, "You know how I was going to kill you? I changed my mind since you love using this thing to club me. I loved that idea! Clubbing someone to death, so simple and easy! I mean, man began that way! The first real murder, truest killing was by clubbing others with their hands and eventually with well… clubs!" The prisoner looks on the weapon with his eyes leering a little, "You know what! I think I always liked that idea especially when I made that suit several years back…" he blinks and returns to the present, "Hold on… I was about to do something! Shit, I forget! What the hell was I…?" The guard is looking worriedly till those cruel, vicious eyes look into his own, "Oh yeah!"

The prisoner grabs the man's throat and with the club he smacks with hellish force on the knees causing them to snap and break. The man is screaming in pan now, and soon he feels the pain in his mouth as his throat is being clogged by the club forced down his jaw and into his throat. The prisoner waits a little, holding him there while the guard is now jumping and tossing around like mad. Then the body is less volatile, more spastic in the last twitches. The prisoner drops the guard with a low moan of pleased internal ecstasy and soon he hears this voice, _"It's time to be reborn in the fires of hell."_

The prisonerlooks to his shoulder, seeing a set of imaginary shadow like claws on his shoulder he smiles and says "Oh yeah I almost forgot."

* * *

The main office has one man in a gray long coat with a patch over his one eye. He has brown hair, and a white streak matching the elderly and somewhat tense visage. He has this cigar in his mouth that he smokes as he reads over the paper work. "Mr. Fury." The one eyed man looks over to some general, "I really don't like when men smoke in my office." 

"Well I don't like being called Mr." Nick Fury puffs his cigar and puffs it on he general, "So, we're even. So what is it about this guy? Here it says he's deemed dangerous but government officials order him to be imprisoned and held. You'd figure he's up for execution by now."

"Under normal circumstances yes." The general with his white hairs and crew cut looks on the desk cupping his chin. His eyes seem very tired and frightened. "You know about the Mutant Menace?" To that Nick shakes his head not saying he didn't know about the phrase he just knew there was no real menace if people kept their senses. Sad thing is a person can be intelligent about things it is only when people get together they turn into a damn mob. "Well this man was very close to making a weapon to use against them. He was on the verge of a new-age super soldier formula."

Nick glares his eye heatedly, "You mean like Captain America?"

"No this is much more genuine. He called it Infinite. The program would have allowed mass production of warriors who could fight with as much vigor and power as the late Captain America with quicker results."

"So he was working for us?"

"At first. He was in part to a special experiment on some soldiers one being a Mr…" The general looks at his papers, "Wilson but that serum caused mental psychosis."

"Great so the mind is screwed instead of the body."

"Not in Infinite. He has a special new brew which he was going to use but something happened and he was attacked in his lab. There was a fire from an experiment and he nearly was burned alive. Weirdest part is he actually seemed to want to be burned alive."

"It says here he was experimenting on himself with some of his special brews." Nick rolls up some of the papers and looks at others, "A matter of fact his mental state is nearly erratic and delusional. Some say he's been talking to people who aren't even there, even shadows in his room. What kind of help do you really expect from this nut job?"

"Trust me Fury if his experiments and serums fell into the wrong hands they would prove more hazardous than ever."

Nick looks up on the general taking a drag off his cigar. "General, I think his hands are the wrong ones."

The room is suddenly brightly turning red. A siren goes off and Nick is glaring all around, "What the hell is going on?"

"The prisoner he had to of escaped!"

"Great! This is exactly what we needed! You get some men together." Nick Fury grabs a gun and pulls it up to his side, "I'll go see what I can do about this psychopath. Let's hope it won't be one of those Friday the thirteenth situations."

* * *

Raven sits down with the others and explains to the best of her knowledge what is going on. The first thing is silence. Starfire rubs her hands in her lap while Cyborg kind of looks blankly at her. Beast Boy scratches his head more confused than anything else. Robin, he stood in the back arms crossed and giving simple looks of support when Raven felt most worried. The silence finally got to Raven who normally never minds silence rather she begs for it. "Well? Any questions?" 

"Yeah, so he's like… a demon? Is he your cousin or something?" Beast Boy has a pillow hit his face from Raven's powers, "Hey! It was a serious question!"

"No he's not my cousin or related to me! Why would you even think that?"

"Well the last one was your dad so I was wondering is this going to be like a family business? Your dad, cousin, uncle and stuff like that."

Raven shakes her head no with a little annoyance, "That's the dumbest thing I ever heard."

Cyborg is smiling as he starts to ruffle up Beast Boy's hair, "Hey take to credit who the heck it is!"

Starfire starts giggling and hugging the two with her super-Tameranian-hug. "Oh friends you always find the most impressive means to elevate the joyous moments!"

The three get into some chatter and banter leaving Raven kind of confused. Robin is next to her with his own smile "You forget Raven friends do what they can to help their friends. As long as we can we will help you. So what do we do now?"

Cyborg looks up and asks "What about the Justice League? If Raven had a dream with them in it maybe they were really there! Which member was it again?"

"J'onn, the Martian Man Hunter."

Starfire floats over nodding, "I have never met this J'onn yet I have always been interested in meeting him. Perhaps this would be the perfect chance to do just that?"

"Whoa! Think about it we could actually meet the Justice League! That would be so wild!"

"I know, I wonder if I'll get a chance to see the Watch Tower!"

Robin raises up his hands, "Hold up everyone! We may find this exciting but we still don't know if they will even see us."

To that everyone looks on Robin. He raises a brow until Raven asks "What about Batman?" Robin seems to freeze, "He is a senior, and founding member perhaps he can ask for us?"

"Oh yes! That will be most plausible to helping us meet the League of Justice!"

Robin looks around a little pale, "I… I guess I could call Batman. You all wait here while I do that."

Robin walks off to his room while not noticing Raven sort of followed behind him. "Something wrong Robin?"

Robin looks over his shoulder then to the path ahead, "Yeah well…" he coughs a little uneasy, "I don't like to ask Batman for favors. I originally tried making this team to prove I could be more. So even if he helps I feel like I owe him again."

"Think of it as a favor for me Robin. You can do that right?"

Robin looks back as he opens his door. "Sure thing Raven I can do that I guess."

* * *

J'onn exits a portal and is still a little taken back from before. How could it really be true? Superman? He decided to leave the Justice League and learn more on humans. He returns only every now and again to keep in touch with those whom he calls his friends. J'onn is now being grabbed by the shoulder Lantern asks "Where were you? I was nearly about ready to send out a search party!" 

"I was contacted by Fate. He warns that all my previous worries are founded. He also gave me a book on these creatures, Kagejin."

"He did?" Lantern looks over to the book asking "Is that it?"

"Yes it is. Have you seen Superman?"

"Not since this morning before you disappeared. I think he went to the Earth to get some things straightened out and find more on these things. What all did Fate tell you?"

J'onn looks at Lantern and thinks about what he was told. He knew deep down he should tell him yet something told him no. 'What Fate said is Superman is not savable. However, others around him could be if only the right choices are made. If ones are brought into this matter that should not have been terrible things may happen.' J'onn shakes his head "Nothing else that seems important enough to mention."

Lantern raises a brow, "You sure?" The next thing they know a red blur rolls around them and with pointed golden lightning bolts like antennae and a bolt on their chest The Flash is smiling and saluting the two in play, "Hey guys! I have word from Batman! He sent up a message asking us to head on down to Jump City."

Lantern blinks on Flash confused as J'onn remembers his dream. "Why would he want us to go there?"

"You remember the Teen Titans? They sent some word to him that they needed to talk to us." Flash shrugs and readies to run back to the transmitter, "I'll tell him whatever you want me to."

"Tell him we are on our way." J'onn looks to Lantern, "Will you be coming with me?"

"Sure but why are we going to meet those kids?"

"They may also have information on the Kagejin. My dream had Raven in it and she is a Teen Titan."

Lantern looks up and nods "I forgot about that. Okay, let's get ourselves to the plane and see what we can do maybe we can get the others to meet us there."

J'onn nods, "Perhaps." He then watches as Flash disappears, "Or perhaps not."

* * *

Magneto lands his eyes wide in the helmet. Sabertooth is just as stunned as they landed. The entrance to the facility is torn wide open and two military officers are lying at the sides with large burn marks in their chests. Magneto levitates past the bodies. The two enter the facility finding offices blown apart and bodies strewn everywhere. Some were scientists, others were officers. The papers and machines seem to be burnt and torn as if a large force of militants broke in and attacked the building. Magneto knows automatically that was not the case. "It looks like Nimrod has turned himself around. He's attacking everything rather than just mutants." 

"Yeah instead of a racist killer robot, we have an equal-rights killer robot. I sadly don't find myself too comforted in those thoughts."

Magneto starts to work on several computers still actually working. He looks at the screens glaring more heatedly with what he finds. "The Nimrod has a tracking device. This shows the direction it seems to be headed."

Sabertooth walks over and looks at the screen. "Hey, that seems to be in the direction of… Jump City!"

"Yes and strangely enough Charles asked for our assistance in that city. I believe now it is time to move on to that location after all."

The two are headed topside as Sabertooth rubs the bare spot on his chest where his tags once were. 'Clarice, you better be safe damn it.'

* * *

In the sky a long black jet is flying through the cloud cover. At the driver's seat is a suited Wolverine. He looks through the cloud cover and snorts, "This is pretty thick we should get through without much trouble." 

Storm is in her black outfit with a cape. Her white hair flows so perfect on her back behind the cape Wolverine gets a little distracted till the plane makes a slight jump. "Oh, whoa!" Wolverine makes the plane even out some then he looks at the screens, "Sorry about that kids just a little turbulence!"

"Turbulence at this altitude Wolverine?" Scott was also Cyclops with a red visor over his eyes and black outfit he shrugs to the equally confused Jean Grey who sat next to him with a head brace of sorts along with her outfit.

"Yeah Cyclops its turbulence! Now just sit tight and try not to shoot a hole in the roof!"

Some chuckling behind Cyclops makes him look over his seat "What's so funny Nightcrawler?"

The blue pointy eared teen in a red V outfit with black shrugs, "Oh, you know same old same old."

Next to him is Rogue with her tight outfit with the shoulder armor of the X-symbol, along with the green top with black stomach, arms, and legs with boots. "Nice come back Kurt."

"I wasn't trying to make a comeback Rogue! I was just… something."

Kitty pokes her head through the seat, I mean through it, and looks at Nightcrawler smiling "Aw, you hurt his little feelings!"

Rogue pulls back from the girl snapping "What are you thinking Shadow Cat? This isn't what I call elbow room!"

"Oh, sorry Rogue!" Shadow Cat pulls her head back and then hops her arms and head on the headrest over them, "This better?"

"Yeah it seems to fit for now. Just try to remember I don't want to fall through the floor while we're flying."

The teens are all laughing except Rogue who just gives a weak smile. The truth is she has always had to be cautious of her powers. Never able to touch, feel, or even kiss less she steals their life-force and powers. Rogue has always hated this 'gift' of hers but she deals with it while she can as she must. It has perks to it, but so many more drawbacks.

Logan looks back and sees her smile, "Hey, we should be getting to the city limits cool off all of you!" He snorts to her look at him like a thank you. "Too much noise from those kids."

"Their kids still Wolverine. They deserve to enjoy themselves."

"Yeah well…" Wolverine hears a beep so he pushes a button "What is it?"

On the other end a large blue haired man seems to smile upside down. "Logan! I have just finished looking over the complete logs of our computers, and several files from secret… well let's just say I've been looking for that thing you mentioned."

"Let me guess nothing on these Kagejin right McCoy?"

McCoy, or Beast as he was also called shakes his head no "Not a one still I have other resources so let's hope they prove more fruitful than what previously I tried."

"Any word on Magnus? I remember our old friend was going to call on us with some info if he found it." Wolverine growls a little, "I hate thinking I'm working with that guy after everything."

"Logan he is trying to help us."

"He's helping himself Storm. We're just sort of in the way of that." Wolverine looks to the radar and glares, "Great there's another aircraft honing in on us."

"Another one?" Nightcrawler looks out his window, "Who do you think it is?"

Wolverine looks on his screens and with a low mumble he manages, "Justice League…"

* * *

J'onn looks at the screens as piloting were Lantern and a woman with black hair and with a red outfit on. "Wonder Woman, what is this other plane?" 

"Looks like some kind of stealth ship. I think those markings are those mutant vigilantes the X-Men."

A fifth member, Batman nods saying "Let's ask them if their headed to Titans Tower. If so maybe we can… escort them."

"In other words Batsy here thinks they know something or as little anything we do."

The other members look at Flash. "Hey, you can't be sure they do or don't."

Lantern nods agreeing "We can check anyway just in case." He hails the Black-hawk and waits for their response. Soon the wild haired Wolverine asks "What?"

"We were wondering what you were doing here."

"Oh, just a Sunday flight to Seattle. What does it look like? We're headed to Jump City to check on some things."

J'onn nods "I told their Professor of the Kagejin perhaps they have some kind of mission like us."

"J'onn right?" Wolverine smirks a little "You look like the kind of guy to talk to the Professor. Nice to meet you sort of."

"We are heading towards the Titans Tower to have a discussion with them. Perhaps you wish to follow along?"

"Titans Tower? I guess that's as good a place to start looking as any."

Nightcrawler poufs into the view "Really! Oh man I can't wait I heard Beast Boy is a great guy! I even heard he likes jokes, we'll be great together as a comedy act!"

"Oh man…" mumble the teenage mutants minus Nightcrawler.

Wolverine screams "All of you pipe-down! I don't need these damn headaches!" Nightcrawler disappears to his seat with Wolverine shaking his head in his palm "Alright! I'll meet you there but first I think we need to stretch our legs I heard the city has some good food and stuff. We'll park in the park and set the invisibility on to hide the ship. Meet you all later, okay?"

"Sounds good to me." Lantern watches the screen turn off before smiling "Those kids really would get under my skin. Especially that blue one."

Batman has a smile on his face "Wait till we get to the Teen Titans."

* * *

In Egypt a man was about to grab something, his eyes glistening in joy as soon he would raise his master, Apocalypse. Then a set of hands grabbed him and tossed him into a wall. His eyes now look up to glowing red ones and soon the beams strike his belly. "No… Apocalypse…" 

"The only Apocalypse this world will know is mine. My world, my kingdom, Apokalipse." The figure that attacked has a deep gray skin and blue hooded outfit with his boots. The brows are like a stone with cracks in them and eyes so dark and cruel. "The Apokalipse that I rule, Darkseid, will be where this planet comes to recognize and your master is not even going to see it." Darkseid grins cruelly as the man now dies and soon he grabs from him two strange devices that acted as a key to Apocalypse. "So, these are the things Akaige wants held onto? Sure, why not? I should make my way to Jump City. Perhaps if I'm lucky I can see the Kryptonian… before Akaige kills him that is."

* * *

Nick moves the halls with his gun at the ready. Looking around a corner his eye glares at what he sees. Several guards' bodies strewn around and blood on the walls. Even some smudges where the guards must have tried escaping only to be dragged on the ground. 'This guy is a monster.' Nick turns to follow the hall slowly. He makes the way down to the generators or whatever they used for the power here. He knew because that's where the carnage follows and sure as hell the signs on the walls all say the same thing. Outside the generator room a man is breathing haggardly so Nick runs over and goes to check his health. Nick looks on the man's neck and grimaces before rolling them back over. 'God… this guy is sick.' 

Nick hears some noises up ahead and so he stammers up to the wall and lays on it flat. The gun prepared for shooting this monster Nick turns into the generator room. He realizes what they used for energy it was a nuclear energy generator and regulator. Why the hell do they have this here? The armor plating of this entire room are microwave shields. "Prisoner 75630259! This is the last chance come with me or else!"

The prisoner looks back with a sick smile, "Nick Fury! The leader of S.H.I.E.L.D. has come all this way to kill me? Wow, I do feel honored… kind of." The prisoner looks back to the fires in the generator, "However, Nick, you are too late! It is time, time for my being to be one with the fires of hell!" The prisoner reaches out to open the containment unit when a bullet is fired.

The Prisoner screams as his left arm is struck he grabs the wound and looks on Nick with well, Fury. "That's it nut-job! We're going to the transport in chains or in a body bag! Make your choice!"

"I won't die! Not so soon to my goal, not while he wants me!"

The prisoner reaches on the containment unit again and Nick fires. The bullet makes to the head when a large black claw seems to appear from the Prisoner's shadow and tossing away the bullet. Nick is stunned and begins firing more to stop the prisoner. The claw reaches up to the ceiling and pulls it down on Nick causing him and the bridge support that he stood on to collapse under the plating and rubble. The claw returns to the side of the user and they look on the prisoner. The prisoner smiles and pulls open the containment shield letting fires of microwave energy and radiated power pour into the entire room. The shadow dissipates as the flames burn all over the room. The prisoner is screaming as his flesh is burned away and soon only his red hot skeleton seems to be left in the golden red flames.

The general looks into the room wide eyed and then he has two guards with him. One looks on a radiation-gauge shaking his head "My god! He's being engulfed in radiation! The whole room is like Hiroshima!" The guard then blinks "Hey, the radiation is dying down… did the filters kick in that quick?"

The general pushes the guard out of his way and looks. He then looks to the door and runs in. The general looks on the smoldering body ahead of him at the now empty furnace and then looks to the broken bridge support. "I want a team brought here! We need to have this mess removed and the power turned back on." He looks up as strobe lights were on "These strobes won't do we need the facility fully operational!"

The two guards are just standing there as he seems to get pissed. "What the hell are your problems?"

"Not what… general…" the voice sounds so much the same, but now so much crueler, darker, and evil yes more evil. The general looks back to see that burning mound was still burning and was… standing. The red skeleton of the prisoner contorts its brows and jaw line as the fires made it a living expression. "Who, who the hell is their problem!"

With a maddening laugh the fiery monster leaps over the general to the two guards and claps them in his hands. The guards scream as they are covered in fire and then those fires are absorbed into the mainstream of the monster leaving nothing of he guards. "What do you know? I always called these guards chickens. I never knew they actually tasted like chicken!" The prisoner laughs to himself deeply before turning over his large, flaming shoulders to the general. "What about you general?"

The general makes a step back. The prisoner smiles his teeth where his canines seem to curl his lips. Making a step towards the general the general reaches for his gun and steps back too. Firing a shot the bullet passes through the flames and falls outside of them smoking and melting. "You have to be kidding! I'm living, breathing energy! You can't kill energy with a gun dumb ass!"

The general looks on in such fear. The prisoner grins his grin but then he screams "BOO!" and the general falls on his heels and off the bridge support where it collapsed. He smashes on the ground and is impaled by metal pipes and pieces. The prisoner puts his finger in his dimples, musing, "Oops, did I do tat? Ah-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha!"

The roof seems to buckle in and levitating down was the Nimrod robot. It has something strapped on its back and the prisoner seems to be smiling more. "Oh! A laundry service that delivers!" Nimrod's golden eyes seem to raise a little as in confusion, "Incorrect data." Nimrod undoes the buckles on its chest letting the strange clear see-through armor stand on its own. The prisoner walks over and looks on the armor smiling "It is my suit from when I was first going to finish this experiment. Now all I need is the helmet."

Nimrod opens a compartment in its stomach to remove an oval shaped dome that was to fit over a hole on the front center of the large suit. The prisoner screams in joy as his body bursts into the hole and irradiates the outfit with his new flesh. Without the suit the monster would loose its mass and form. The suit is made to contain and keep out energy. Made from a special crystalline mass the outfit moves like a body of flesh with the booted feet and armored chest of crystal. The shoulders were broader than his human form but the energy makes them live like his whole body now. The left arm is a giant club like form where his fist was supposed to be. The back-arm has three sharp edges, and the bulged club has small red openings for energy to be released as streams. The monster looks at his right arm which was a hand opening and clasping with the controlled crystal armor. The dome is placed over the red skull with his golden eyes glinting in favor of the change. In the suit only his ribs and skull seem apparent from the limbs of the suit having energy rolling on the limbs to control them.

Nimrod stomps forward and asks "The next part of the operation?"

"What? Oh, we must go to Jump City. From there we'll work with the portal to bring him here."

"Correct. Prepare to be transported."

The monster and Nimrod get closer together and Nimrod covers them in a field of energy floating through the roof. In the rubble, a hand pushes out followed by a tired and bloody Nick Fury. He glares on the escaping monster and Nimrod grabbing a device at his pocket. He knew S.H.I.E.L.D. would not be able to stop it. The only one who knew close enough to Jump City was one man, or rather one mutant. "Logan…"

* * *

New York has one of the most revered teams of super-hero history. The Fantastic Four, but at the moment they were all resting up from a long day of maintenance and training. The Thing was sleeping in his room as was Torch. Mr. Fantastic and his wife Susan both were in the lab trying to cure themselves, or mostly The Thing. They always tried to cure him of his powers since he never was too happy being the Thing. Reed Richards the unbreakable, always stretchable hero of wisdom looks on some tests when he has an unusual person at his window. "Wait, we're on the twentieth floor! Who can that be?" 

"Just your friendly neighborhood Spiderman!" Leaping in a spry landing was Spiderman glaring to the beast Venom not entering but more just hiding at the window. "I need to talk to you doc."

"Oh… well…" Spiderman also pulls out a bag of McDonalds, "I'm guessing the same old bribe is in order."

"Reed? What is it you've been doing with Spiderman?"

Reed looks nervously as he stretches his arm and pulls the bag to then toss it into a drawer, "Nothing Susan!"

"You're not weaseling out of your diet are you?"

"No! I would never…"

"We seem to feel that Reed Richards is a coward listening to his woman with such fear." Venom now enters with his fangs glistening, "Perhaps we are able to enjoy a little fun with the Mr. Fantastic!" Venom latches his stringing on the drawer and pulls it open to show several burgers and fry wrappers along with the latest meal.

"Reed!"

"Susan… I just had a couple burgers… here and there…"

Susan Richards shakes her head before looking to Spiderman, "What was it you needed? Also, why did you bring that thing?"

"We are not a thing woman! We are Venom!"

"Sue, Venom is on our side sort of. The reason I am here is because something big is up and I wanted to know if maybe the tower was able to…" he whispers something that makes the three others look stunned.

"We did not know you were planning this!"

"I know but if things are going to be as bad as they say this is the only place we can use as that."

"I… I guess we could but what is it you are up to?"

"Exactly, my wife and I can facilitate those needs but when and why are more important."

"I don't know when and why will be obvious if things go bad. Do me a favor watch the news if anything, I mean anything weird happens call me?" Spiderman tosses a spider looking device "I'll call back and see what I find out. Thanks, you guys are fantastic." Spiderman steps on the windowsill and chuckles, "Literally."

Webbing through the air Venom and Spiderman look on ahead. "We did not believe you were serious about this attack Spider. If so, maybe we will find a fight worth some time."

"If what those two beings said is really happening to New York, and maybe the world, I'll give you ten to one odds we all have a hell of a fight ahead."

Reed Richards sits at his desk looking on the window. "What a strange request. I best keep my eye on the… news…" he looks at the pile of trash "Where's my food? It couldn't have just…" with a glare Reed looks at his wife who is working and humming "Susan?"

"You're on a diet!"

"Oh come on! You're wasting food if you can't eat it!"

"I'll give it to Ben he's not on a diet."

"Oh what is it going to hurt?"

"Diet Reed! Do you know what that means?"

Reed mumbles to himself "Do you know what 'Pera' means?" and to that he hears something slam on the table. Looking wearily he notices a very, very angry Susan Richards. "Uh oh…"

(Pera is spanish for Bitch, if you are wondering.)

* * *

Titans Tower has a fast talking green boy with a smooth talking red pajama wearing hero. The two are making small talk after an initial meeting. At first Robin was reluctant with his mentor there but he did soften up. Cyborg was trying to get a talk with Green Lantern about some of the Watchtower build and tech. Starfire and Wonder Woman talked about some of the differences of Tameran and Femascera. Raven finally was able to get J'onn to tell her about the book though he wanted to tell everyone. "It is a book on the Kagejin and their other matters of conquest. I was figuring it may help us understand them. I read most of it on the way here but I find most the information is just about their ways of… destroying." 

"Can I read it?" Raven notices J'onn kind of look concerned. "The stories do not always turn out so good for the people affected especially for alternate worlds with you in them."

Raven looks at the book and nods, "I understand please I want to know what we are really up against."

"Very well I marked some pages with small pieces of paper…" J'onn looks at the titans and members busy talking and listening "Perhaps it is better you read and not your friends. From you they may understand more what is happening."

Raven nods and takes the book with her from the group to her room. Sitting on her bed Raven opens the book and begins to read the pages with marked paper in their sections. Raven reads the stories to herself. There were a lot of them and so as she read she only learned what she knew. Akaige likes to try and break people, to manipulate them into either destroying themselves or the ones they love. He was evil, cruel, and even worse he seems obsessed with Raven in every reality he goes to. He makes deals with Trigon to help destroy her and it seems this might be one of those cases. As Raven reads these stories she hears movement out in the halls so she moves to her door and listens to Robin in the gym. She floats outside to the gym and watches as he's with Batman.

Batman asks "Why didn't you tell me about this Trigon business?"

"Well, I figured it didn't concern you."

"It concerned the earth Robin! I'm part of the earth, and the Justice League should have known about it too. Think about it Robin."

Robin looks on his old teacher in a glare "Look, this was my team's fight not their or yours! You always said the Justice League was a mistake anyway!"

Batman nods but then he says coldly "Just because I say these things does not mean you should go ahead and ignore your duty to those around you. That was a bad choice."

"I'm a man now Batman! It's my choice and mine alone, you can't tell me what to do!"  
Batman turns away from Robin with a snarl "You're right you are a man now." Batman swings back around with his fist. Robin falters under a punch and lands looking in shock flat on his back with a bloody nose and trail from his lip. Raven screams his name rushing over to him. Raven kneels down grabbing Robin's back helping him up a little as he holds the spot. "As a man Robin you need to learn you're not the only one your choices affect! Lives were on the line! You saved the world but if you didn't what about everyone else? This is not the time to debate who is a man and who is not!" Batman walks to the entranceway before Robin screams "So you're a better man? You protect Gotham City and the world! Great job, you're the better man here!"

Batman looks back in a snarl "Damn it Robin! It's not a contest! I do what I can and I do what I can! Some day you'll understand what it is we really are doing until then…" Batman flips his cape and leaves.

Robin glares his eyes heatedly when he feels a hand on his face. Raven starts chanting and her hand glows healing the injury. Robin looks away a little ashamed, "Sorry… thanks… whatever."

"He's right Robin."

"You're taking his side?"

"No, I'm saying he's right we shouldn't be competing and seeing who is better at what. We're the good guys we have to stop and do the good thing." She smiles a little, "He was wrong too, I saved the world you guys sort of watched."

Robin looks at her smirking "Ouch now that really hurt." They chuckle a little before he grabs her hand at his cheek. Silence then covers the room with Raven's cheeks turning red. Something in the back kind of moves and Robin stands up letting go of her hand. "What was that?"

Raven grabs her hood and pulls it down tightly. Robin blinks and Raven lets her hood up again with her cold emotionless look as usual "Come on Robin we have to go and see the others."

Then the alarm goes off. The two look to the blinking lights and head to the main room. J'onn pops his head over Cyborg's shoulder "What is happening?"

"Disturbance in the city. Seems like it's… Slade." Robin jumps internally and his left fist curls. Raven also glares as her recent endeavor did not leave her too pleased with the one eyed villain. "Should we come along?"

"You can come but don't get involved Slade is ours!"

Lantern glares "Why not? We are pretty good at our job."

Raven shakes her head no "Slade has caused all of us too much pain and suffering if we need your help we'll ask but don't get involved otherwise." She floats off with the other titans as Lantern shrugs "She's a real pain, at least she didn't say we couldn't help if things got too ugly."

"I know." Batman smirks "Out of them all I kind of like her."

"But Robin is your son." Wonder Woman is glared on as Batman leaves "I know, buthe doesn't."

* * *

Wolverine sits with the other X-men at a small pizza place. He hated it, but the teens loved it. "You notice this city? Everyone is smiling and all chipper! Makes me so sick to my stomach." 

"I know, ain't it just horrible?" He blinks to Rogue who has her head on her hand slumping "They all act like their safe and sound like in Metropolis. At least in Gotham people are more down to earth."

"Where's Storm?" Rogue points to the line as she was getting a burger or two "Oh. Well I hate to admit it kid but you and me we're the only ones who get the hard life of life." Rogue sighs and nods "Ain't it the truth."

Rogue watches as Scott and Jean start sharing fries. "I wish I could touch people."

"He…" Wolverine's mindless chuckle got him a death glare "I wish I could grow old with someone kid. It just seems life likes to toss a pile of shit on the grill every now and again."

Nightcrawler chuckles as he tosses some fries towards Kitty but she lets them phase through her. They instead hit Scott who glares over two the two threatening to use his eye-beam. The teens are all laughing and enjoying themselves as Rogue twiddles her finger on the straw of her soda. "What a drag I just want to go home."

"Why don't you enjoy yourselves for a little bit? I mean you and the others have fun all the time together."

"Normally…" Rogue sighs a little "Logan I had a dream that I drained someone till they died. Afterwards, when I woke up I almost could have sword I had someone looking over me in my sleep. They had this funky head like all round and big… I don't know…"

"A dream is a dream until it is made a reality." Storm sits down smiling "Meaning, go and do something before you can't do anything at all!"

"Ah… whatever." Rogue stands up and walks to the others joining in while Storm sighs "That wasn't so hard now was it?"

"You have the motherly touch angle, I have the skin them alive angle. One has to be good for the other right?"

Then an explosion the X-Men raised brows and make moves towards the raising smoke.

* * *

In the center of the street stood a man with one eye and two halves of a mask. He waits, and waits for the Teen Titans to arrive. Soon the R-Cycle speeds to a halt and Robin steps off "Slade…" 

"Always through gritted teeth and malice enforced moans Robin? That is the only way you ever speak to me or call my name." Slade turns seeing the Teen Titans and the Justice League "I'm honored the Justice League would actually consider me such a threat they would come to intervene."

"They're not here for you Slade! They're here for these Kagejin creeps coming to destroy the whole wo- er, I mean…" Beast Boy droops his ears as the others all look on him "Sorry."

Slade nods saying "Interesting but that won't save you from my revenge Robin."

"Revenge? I'm the one that deserves revenge!"

"For what?"

"All the times you tried to destroy this city!"

"Yes! This filthy little city! The same city that took from me something most dear, that claims heroes like you deserve unquestioned worship and praise, that condemned my son's life to the hatred and hell it gives!"

A moment of unusual silence and Robin asks "What?"

"Blink, Ravager! Time to end what we began!"

From a portal two girls appear, one was Blink twirling her energy needles and with her was Ravager with a staff weapon that her father also has. Robin grabs his staff and Raven with Starfire charge their energy, Beast Boy snarls his teeth as Cyborg opens up his cannons. The two teams glare onto each other. Robin screams "Titans GO!" and they do, Slade snaps forth "Apprentices STRIKE!"

Raven and Cyborg start fighting Blink after she teleports her and them out and on a building. Starfire and Beast Boy look to be struck and attacked by Ravager. Robin glares at Slade, "You planned it this way!"

"Did you ever doubt I would?"

* * *

Raven watches as Cyborg charges his cannon and fires. Blink disappears and reappears on Cyborg's back trying to rip open his back. Cyborg grabs Blink and tosses her off his shoulders screaming "It isn't that easy!" 

Blink glares at Cyborg then disappears. Cyborg feels two feet strike his back and Blink is on him again now slamming him on the ground. While down Blink creates her needles and pries open the back. Blink plunges the needles short-circuited Cyborg, "Aw man… I hate when they do that."

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Blink looks up to be hit by a ventilation chute. Blink slams back and looks up to Raven as she levitates over channeling more debris. "So what did Slade promise you? Money, power, the world? Come on what was it you sold your soul for?"

"First of all!" Blink disappears and reappears grabbing Raven by the neck and strangling her from behind. "I didn't sell my soul for anything! Second, I'm not working for him I work for Creed! He said working under Slade will make me stronger!"

Raven glares and channels an antenna into her hand. "Well he's wrong! It will only make you weaker!"

Raven swings the antennae into Blink's face making Blink loose grip. Raven blasts her beams flinging Blink off the roof. Raven begins a run to Cyborg when a portal opens and two glowing needles nearly stab her skull. Raven was able to raise her shields to block but Blink kicks under the hand shields into Raven's gut, then a roundhouse kick makes Raven fall on her side. Blink screams in a strong kick down but Raven has phased through the roof. Blink removes her foot raising a brow when Raven phases behind her and screams her chant. Blink turns but sees her whole body being covered in black energy. Raven asks "Do you understand what you're doing is illegal?"

"I don't care! I'll do anything for Mr. Creed! I owe him my life!"

Raven looks in Blink's eyes and shakes her head "So he really wants you to be evil?"

Blink thinks for a moment and sighs, "No, he never wanted that he just wants me to be stronger." Blink screams as she teleports breaking from the hold and lands in front of Raven grabbing her hood and pulling them close. "So I'll do what I want and beat you! Showing Creed how much stronger I am!"

* * *

Ravager leaps from the bull she was riding and blocking bolts off of. The bolts explode on the bull and it soon stammers behind a telephone booth and to view again it collapses as Beast Boy. Starfire lands her eyes glowing when a staff goes over her head and around her neck choking. Star tries to break free but the staff keeps choking her bad. Starfire manages to put all her weight to her feet and kicks back up to bounce her head into the face of Ravager. Ravager falls back grabbing her face before strong punches toss her side to side. Starfire throws more strong jabs and hooks to the faltering attacker before Ravager pulls a device and tosses it to restrain Starfire in bonds of her hands, eyes, and legs. 

"Release me this instance! This is improper!"

"Improper? Who cares if it's improper after what you did to my father!"

"I have never met your father!"

"That's funny." Ravager strikes her staff into her palm "Because he just sent me to kick your orange butt, and kill your boyfriend Robin."

Starfire looks on her attacker though her eyes are bound "Slade is your Knorfka? What is it we did to him he did not do to us?"

"You really don't know? My dad said you probably wouldn't even know it. You kids have always been such arrogant brats." Ravager strikes Starfire with the staff. "You know what! My dad is going to so enjoy ripping Robin to pieces like the weak brat he really is!" Starfire is snarling on her attacker's words before she feels a foot in her cheek pushing her to the dirt. "I bet he's just as weak as that Terra girl. Tell me, what was sadder the fact she betrayed you for my father, or the fact she couldn't even beat my father?"

To those words a loud roar is heard and Ravager screams. Starfire then has the bonds ripped off her and she sees Beast Boy pulling her on her feet. "No one…" Beast Boy's eyes are angry just like Starfire now, "I mean no one talks about Terra like that!"

"Aw…" Ravager stands up and smirks on the two, "Did I hit a nerve? I wonder does Terra have any nerves left after being turned to stone."

The two scream in an attack to the statement continuing the fight.

* * *

Slade strikes his staff with Robin. The two show all their hate and malice to the other in their eyes. Batman looks to the other league members and strikes his eyes "Let them go this is something they have to deal with themselves." 

"What do you mean?"

"Trust me," Batman watches their standoff, "This is their fight and their fight alone."

Slade and Robin make strike after strike with their hate and rage the fuel. Sweeps, plows, plunges, and overhead were their varying from parries, blocks, and swings. Slade charges and with a vault he goes over Robin and lands making a backwards kick plowing Robin into a building's entrance of glass. Slade makes a small march, "You took many things from me boy! My Life has been very hard, cruel, but what you took was more than what I could take any longer. Years I fought off the psychosis, I kept myself on a path of vigilance and training to have you Robin, you took my last real anchor from me!"

Slade steps into the dark room and sees Robin was already in hiding, listening to his words. Slade steps deeper into the shadowy room and glares around. "You see, I had a wife once. However, being a mercenary and assassin one looses touch of family… until someone kidnaps them. The end result, I saved my loved ones but at the cost of my wife, children, and oh yes…" Slade grabs the spot on his mask covered over the eye, "This eye."

Robin makes a creep to some shelves it was a convenience store. He steps on a doll and it squeaks, with horror Robin hears running and the staff plows through the shelves and tries desperately to catch Robin who bobs and weaves through the plunging ends. "After that I became full time mercenary. I had no one to live for! I even took Death in my name, Deathstroke the Executioner! I had no problems in killing anyone deserving to die! Then a contract on you kids!" Slade kicks the shelf but Robin rolls and then runs hiding again. "I denied that one contract, one damn contract and what happens? Some how one of my sons, Grant, finds out that the man Deathstroke who he was told KILLED his father denied a contract! Wanting to prove he was able to kill me, the man who killed his father…" Slade grips his hands into fists after dropping his staff "He took the contract and tried to kill you. The deal went sour you even killed him in a fire! My son was gone and the law never looked into it! Why, because you were heroes, above the law and sinless saviors!" Slade grips his staff and prepares to attack "You took the only person that really cared about me, the man, not this outfit but me! Who the hell do you people think you are?"

Robin soon appears from behind some shelves. He looks on Slade without a second of rage or anger. His staff is already been put away, and Robin just stands there. Slade asks "What are you doing?"

"I'm not fighting you." Robin walks forward and Slade glares on heatedly "Fight damn you!"

A moment of silence and the two look at each other and soon Slade retracts his staff and snarls as he walks over to Robin "I will get revenge Robin some day, some how." Slade pokes Robin in the chest, "It will be quick, fierce, and no one will see it coming!"

Slade is then flung into a wall by a powerful swing of a club like arm. Robin is trying to get his staff but the same arm strikes him as well. The two look at their attacker in a golden glowing crystal armor his red skull and ribs showing through it. "Was it going to be something like that?" The attacker chuckles to himself as Nimrod floats behind him. "Dip-wad, go take care of those kids outside while I get this place ready!"

"Incorrect title." The prisoner glares on the machine, "Nimrod do it!"

"Acceptable title." Nimrod levitates to the entranceway to begin battle with the others outside while the prisoner rolls his eyes "Damn bucket of bolts!" Slade stands up with Robin asking "What the hell is that?"

"Not what children who in the hell. I am the thing that the darkest sections of your mind's cruelty could never fathom. The monster that your brutal inner beast keeps hidden from in the storm. I am the greatest evil of all time, the greatest killer of this new age! The Age of Akaige! I am…"

There's a bunch of explosions. As the dust clears the attacker looks aggressively on Slade and Robin with their devices, "You didn't let me finish…" his fangs glisten with the cruel smile and glare as he crossed the club arm over his broad chest "You're going to wish you did."


	4. Head of the Serpent 4

The Age Of Akaige

By Pakkrat

Chapter 4: The Head of the Serpent (Part 4)

Note: The disclaimers tell how I don't own Teen Titans and other materials like that. I do like the Kagejin and Akaige original creations of my own. Also, several other shows are in this chapter and a special bonus. To my readers can you name the two anime references in this chapter? Hints, one makes you paranoid, one makes you foolishly cool. There is another anime since some of our story gets global. If you can guess what anime will be appearing later from the penname of a character, an extra 5 points to you! If you have the song "The Reason, By Hoobastank" you might want to listen to it at a specific scene. A very moving moment to its music. This chapter is also fairly long as it is the end of the "Head of the Serpent" parts. I may also change the rating from M to T and see what people think. Things will be fairly intense with action and murder but maybe it isn't an M story, more a T type story with very subjectionable properties? What do you believe? Who can guess what importance 'Head of the Serpent' has to Akaige coming? Enough questions, time for the best twists of this fic yet! More to come I promise it is me after all!

The Justice League consisting of Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, J'onn, and Batman sort of watch the two fights outside. Flash yawns asking "Why did we really come here if all we are going to do is stand around?"

"We came to learn anything about an up coming war along with the help of the Teen Titans. That was the only reason Flash not to pick fights."

Flash looks over to that hole in the store blinking, "Really?" he points asking "Did anyone tell him that?"

The five members look at the red droid Nimrod now levitating out of the hole and scanning the area. It looks up to the roof where Raven fought Blink. "Mutant detected." Nimrod flies up and lands a little past Raven and Blink making them stop fighting and looking at the robot here. "Surrender mutant!"

Blink looks at the robot confused "Is this one of your friends?"

"No…"

"You have five seconds to…" Nimrod's screen seems to fizzle in and out and when it turns back on Nimrod screams "Initializing protocols! New protocol, destroy all enemies of master Akaige!"

Raven jumps to that name, "Akaige!"

The Nimrod raises its right hand and creates a golden orb around its palm. Raven jumps in front of Blink raising her shield to block the blast. Nimrod raises both hands and fires making the dual impact on Raven's powers drain her. Raven snarls until Blink grabs her shoulders and teleports them both to the street. Nimrod looks over to Blink helping Raven to her feet. "Why did you help me?"

"It's what was right Blink." Raven glares to Nimrod now levitating off the roof and straight to the ground. "Besides this Creed guy might be upset if something happened to you, right?"

Blink sort of smiles before Nimrod raises his hands as fists and fires two beams again. A green wall blocks the Nimrod blasts and soon the League come over to Raven. "It said it's with Akaige so does that mean he's here?"

"No he can't be something is wrong. He must have agents working for him here."

Nimrod looks over the heroes and floats higher into the air. Nimrod then opens up panels over its body and sprays thousands of missiles on the groups. The missiles don't hit the ground but detonate over them leaving gray gas covering the area. Ravager is coughing and hacking with Beast Boy and Starfire before she is smacked off into a wall. Starfire looks over to than have a metal hand on her face tossing her into a street lamp. Beast Boy glares to the silhouette of Nimrod raising its fists into the air for a slam. "He's using the gas as cover!" the hands smack down and Beast Boy thwacks to the pavements hard. Nimrod looks over to Raven who is stumbling in the dust.

The Nimrod takes and floats towards her sparking energy over its right fist but when it came close someone grabs her and they disappear. Nimrod turns his attention to the Flash who is on his hands and knees coughing. Nimrod floats over readying to fire when a strange gale of wind pushes away the cover. Flash sees the shadow over him and dashes leaving the crater in the ground where he once was crouched.

Nimrod turns to the colored woman with white hair and bolts sparking her eyes. "Mutants detected."

* * *

Slade and Robin stand in front of the monster as its arms were out from its sides ready to defend. "Who are you?" 

The monster smirks its skeletal fangs, "One of the horsemen of Apocalypse. However, I have found someone more to my liking, Akaige."

"That's the demon you mentioned earlier Robin?" Robin nods "Well just great I just pissed off Trigon, I may as well beat on this one too."

"Wait you're a horsemen of Apocalypse? Why did you join Akaige?"

"Ah, a valid question boy!" It stands tall and thinks back, "A man named Mesmero came to me and put some memories of a previous minion of Apocalypse called Holocaust from another timeline. With several of these memories and other things I am supposed to be the same entity that later became Nemesis, and who then turned into Holocaust. I figured if it was meant to be, it was and so I began taking up my old hobbies and working to remake my old form that I loved so dear." The monster rolls his hands over his body, "This form of pure power, and hell's flame. The time then came along that I lost my facility, this suit, and the last chances of being the nearly omnipotent killer I was during the Age of Apocalypse. Then, in my cell at that prison Akaige came to me and told me how he knew that with him I could be who I was before but even better! I could not resist and so I am once again," The monster stomps his foot and flings his arms out with the scream of his hellish name, "Holocaust, the greatest horsemen of the apocalypse!"

"… That's your name? Holocaust?" Slade shrugs, "I figured Prometheus, of Ifrit something more intimidating and iconic than Holocaust!"

"Screw you cyclops! I'll break your neck twice over for that remark!"

Holocaust screams and charges like a rhino with his arms out. The skull has hate on its screaming face but Robin and Slade nod zig-zagging past each other. Holocaust halts and watches them circle around him. Robin and Slade leap kick but Holocaust screams and swings his club smashing Robin away like a ball. Slade is then grabbed by the neck from the human hand and raised into the air. Slade grabs the hand by the wrist and begins trying to kick the beast. Holocaust grins before pulling his arm back and flinging the dangling Slade up over to a wall. Standing victor Holocaust raises his club arm and charges flames from it on Slade.

Robin leaps in with his staff and smacks the club down making it misfire and melt some of the floor instead. Robin now strikes his staff over the face of Holocaust making the larger beast bob from the strikes. Robin strikes more and more, fast and fierce until he has a hand grab his staff and struggling to pull it away. Holocaust pitches his head to Robin snarling while still hunched from the last strike. He launches a punch of the club over Robin's chest smacking the boy wonder through a wall. Robin rolls over the floor and rolls with his legs and arms weakly to a halt. Some debris from the wall falls on Robin making him stand up slowly. Holocaust grabs the hole in the wall and steps through brandishing his club arm. Smirking, Holocaust readies to fire again until a staff is cupped under his helmet. Slade has leapt on the back of the beast and pulls with his staff making it stumble back out of the hole in the wall.

Robin flops his back on the wall inside this room tiredly looking around. His eyes pop wide, "Weapons storage?" he reads several labels, "Starks Enterprises, perfect!"

Slade holds on for dear life since that was the case. Holocaust tosses his shoulders back and forth trying to swing the smaller man off. Slade then lets go and dropped as Holocaust made a swing of the club, hitting himself instead of Slade. Slade lands and runs as Holocaust twitches his right eye and moves his arm to his side. "I'm really getting pissed now." Holocaust looks over to see Slade twirling the staff with his fingertips. Slade points out the staff and Holocaust swings the club snapping the end off a little. Slade pulls the staff up straight and blinks. Another swing and another piece is broke, and then another, and another until the staff is nothing more than a piece of metal.

Holocaust smirks as Slade drops the stick and raises his fists, "Alright! Come on!" Holocaust puts his arms out "Give me your best shot!"

Robin leaps in and with strange gloves flings a punch "Gladly!" the gloves are glowing green and the hit plows Holocaust into the weapon storage. Slade looks at Robin nodding "I always did think you made a great apprentice."

"Whatever Slade." Several sounds of bullets spraying make Slade and Robin dodge behind some shelves in the store. Stomping through the hole Holocaust raises the strange gatling gun in his human hand. Still having some dizziness Holocaust shakes his head and looks up glaring. Letting a long spray loose Robin has a hand struck and tosses off his new gloves "Slade, we have to rush him!"

"Rush him?" Some bullets burst through the shelf and a glass of vinegar spills on a very upset Slade, "You know what be my guest."

Robin looks over through some shelves and watches the now screaming Holocaust firing his new toy. Then the gun clicks but no bullets, "No ammo! Come on Slade!"

Robin scrambles up and readies his bird-arangs as Holocaust was shaking the gun. Looking up Robin tosses the bird-arangs and they fire off with boosters pushing Holocaust through the hole again. Inside, Robin leaps in while connecting his weapons to make his sword weapon and now he starts to clash the blade with the crystalline club of Holocaust. Holocaust pulls back over his chest and in a blood curdling scream he swings. The sword is snapped in half and Robin blinks before a crystalline hand grabs his throat and holds him in the air clenching tightly. Holocaust smirks to himself until a foot strikes the face of Holocaust making the giant tumble back and on his side dropping Robin. Robin notices a hand and his stands up, "I hope you didn't mind I followed your lead."

"I'm just glad you followed."

Holocaust leaps up catching the two off guard, and with his human arm pressing Robin by the throat and club arm over Slade's throat he holds them against the wall choking them.

A vent pops open and a dark figure falls with their back turned to the three. They look confused as the caped person rubs their hands together and starts to open a trunk. With a mechanical voice, they speak "Come to poppa!" They turn around and lay their skull masked face on the trunk to hear the combination lock. That is when he sees the three others and still lying on the trunk, the skull faced figure with a red X tilts his head up and says under his breath "I hate this damn city…"

* * *

The X-men arrived to find a very strange scene what with all those heroes and the Nimrod. Nimrod levitates in place looking on the X-men and Wolverine realizes what it is "Just great they made a man-sized sentinel!" 

Nightcrawler leaps over and blinks "Are you sure Logan? That doesn't even look like a sentinel."

"Trust me sprite, I know a sentinel when I smell one!" he unsheathes his claws having Kitty ask, "You… smell sentinels?"

"For the love of… just get ready to attack that thing!"

The wall then comes crumbling out and Red X rolls with the attack, he looks up as Holocaust leaps up high with the club arm perched for a strike. "Shit!" Red X turns and runs from the strike now breaking up pavement and up heaving some of the ground.

Red X stops short of the X-man Wolverine with his claws, "Double shit!" then turning on his heels he nearly bumps into Nimrod, "Triple shit!" he then turns to the Martian, J'onn, "Holy shit what is this shit?"

"Would you stop all that cursing? You're worse than Logan on one of those there 'family nights' at the mansion." The X-men glare to the southern teen Rogue, "Aw come on Logan doesn't really curse that much."

"Uh…" Red X points to all the strange looking characters, "How the hell am I supposed to react to this?"

Holocaust looks over the X-men and snarls, "I remember you all!"

Wolverine looks kind of confused "We never met you before, bub."

"Not in this life perhaps but oh we have met!" Holocaust raises his one arm in a fist, "By all means we met!"

* * *

Raven was with Blink on the roof "What is going on?" 

"I could ask the same question. One second I'm here fighting you teenagers the next some sort of monsters are ripping through walls and robots are blasting on me."

"I'm sorry to say this but some kind of demon has entered our world. Worse yet he's planning something evil but I don't know what. I fear this is somehow related to that monster."

"Really?" Blink is wide eyed from this info. "Wow, I never knew. Wonder what we can do to help."

"I have an idea." A somewhat whimsical voice speaks behind the girls. When they turn Raven is being blasted and surrounded by green energy. Raven is now standing jagged within the energy before she is able to murmur her chant releasing her from the power. Blink grabbed the fainting Raven and looks on the attacker "Who are you?"

"Why I am," The fiendish red eyes look with a pale, dead white face strong and chiseled like the man. His hair was black like black birds would be, and flatly pressed to a slick platform like appearance. Taking a bow his cold voice speaks with no emotion but with a sadistic pleasure as Raven still spasms from the pain "Mr. Sinister the greatest mind this world has ever seen." The black glossed lips curve evilly with fang like teeth, "Perhaps the greatest any world has ever seen."

Blink glares heatedly with her eyes glowing. Something about Sinister was angering her, maybe his walk of power and self-assured victory. That armor he wore was not armor as it was metal blue bands wrapped on his frame. Red emblems were on his center chest and forehead representing something of a diamond shape. A cape made of the flimsy metals bent from the back in seven strips. Sinister was about to make a move when Raven chants, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" and Sinister is encased with blackness and raised up into the air. The energy covered Sinister is held before his body glows and the energy breaks and cracks like glass. Sinister lands on one foot before stepping the other down, and crossing the strong arms Sinister shakes his head "Tsk, tsk young Raven. What exactly were you trying to accomplish? What a waste of perfect potential energy."

Raven stands up groggily as Sinister steps forward asking "Would you not wish to be more powerful? I can do this I will improve on your powers and genetically make you into the ultimate warriors! Follow me, and the new age my lord brings."

"Akaige?" Raven looks up seeing the nod of Sinister, "I should have known you were working for him."

"Not for but rather with him. Akaige promises that after he has destroyed this planet he will leave the remnants to me for my experiments. I can make a genetically perfect world of only those whom I find suitable. You two would be very acceptable specimens I promise let me alter your genes and I will allow you a moderate amount of free will."

"Sorry but I like my body the way it is." Blink twirls her needles growling "If you want to try you're allowed to!"

"Of course that is the only way you will be taken. How sad I hoped to take you alive."

Before Sinister can lay a finger towards them a portal opens next to them both. Dr. Fate levitates forward and raises a hand "Don't even try it Sinister."

Sinister halts his attack and smiles "Whatever you say fate."

"Raven I wish for you to come with me." Raven looks to Cyborg who is still off-line, "Blink could you take Cyborg to the other titans to be repaired? I won't leave until you are with them and are both safe."

Blink nods and teleports Cyborg away to the others on the street. Sinister shrugs asking "What are you up to Fate? You know Akaige won't like you interfering like this."

"I don't really care about your idle threats. Raven we must be going."

"Where?"

"En Sabah Nur has tried Akaige as a breaker of the laws to celestial claim. That kind of infringement can cause a war of holy proportions and to take it into account, the three have been summoned."

"The three?"

"I will explain later on for now we must go quickly." Fate opens a portal and Raven enters cautiously. Sinister grins as his eyes slink "It was not a threat Fate. Akaige will know you interfered not only with me but with En Sabah Nur. When he comes he will kill you."

"I know." Fate closes the door slowly "It is my fate."

* * *

Slade runs next to Rose looking at her chin "Are you okay?" 

"Yes… I'm sorry I failed you father."

"This was out of our hands daughter. It seems others had plans of their own for this day." Slade glares an eye on Holocaust and Nimrod standing shoulder to shoulder. "They both are brutes so why do we have such trouble defeating them?"

"Some brutes are not only brutes but masterminds cyclops!" Holocaust glares hatefully on the man with one eye "I'm going to enjoy ripping you into little pieces."

Another figure appears on the roof "Am I too late Holocaust?"

Holocaust looks up and smirks "Hell no Sinister! I prefer you than this overgrown toaster oven!"

"Incorrect materials and title."

"Oh shut your… screen… things…"

Sinister leaps down and lands with that one leg drop as before. Blink has teleported to the spot with the titans and looks to Sinister "That guy just feels so evil."

Robin looks over Cyborg "I'll say he fried Cyborg pretty bad. It might take me an hour to fix him completely."

"Um…" Blink blushes and rubs the back of her head "Actually that was kind of me."

"…." Robin looks to Cyborg and tries his best to repair him "You could have blew him up that would have been easier to fix probably."

A mechanical voice asks "Hey, can I check him out?" Robin looks to Red X and shrugs "You think you know how to fix him?"

"I make my own toys without all the money and perks of the hero's life. I think I can figure this out pretty easy." Red X look over the circuits and connectors, "He should be okay if I…" Red X connects something making it spark. Cyborg leaps up and screams "Aye, and if William Wallace were here he'd shoot lightning bolts out of his arse and send the British home in ashes!" Red X pulls a wire and Cyborg is still again. "Okay… maybe not that one."

"You think?"

* * *

A large door bursts open and to the floor, "Doom Patrol!" The voice of the leader, Mento, screams and points forth but the scene ahead of them makes him sort of stare in awe "What… happened?" 

The purple and black outfitted leader with a special head piece and lightning emblem on their chest steps forward. Behind him a woman in a purple and black outfit with a short skirt, was stretching over to Mento. A bandaged man steps along the side with his orange robotic friend speaking sarcastically "Someone did the dirty work for us." He picks up the robotic head of a Brotherhood of Evil drone, "I say they did pretty damn good too."

Mento moves past all the drones and to the moving podium with an evil face on it. A machine carrier with shattered glass and ripped gray matter Mento nods "They took down Brain. I'm not sure who it was but they did it."

The stretching girl twirls to a higher level and then grabs the rails to bend onto the scaffolding "Madame Rouge is up here."

The wrapped man looks up screaming "Yeah, she's down here too Elastigirl… well, parts of her anyway."

"That's not funny Negative Man!"

"I wasn't being funny her leg is over here!"

"That's not hers." The robot shakes his head "It's his."

Negative man turns and sees the wrinkly face of a man impaled on some broken pipes. His eyes look dully on the heroes "Immortus?"

"Robot Man! Get him down from there!"

Robot Man nods and grabs the elderly immortal off the pipes and to the ground. "I don't think we can help him Mento."

"I know but I want to know what happened." Mento kneels down to the still out of it Immortus. His eyes glow and soon Mento is seeing the scenes play out in his mind.

"So, when the Doom Patrol arrives. My sentries will shoot their plane down and drag them to me. As for Robot Man, his body will be a warning to all who oppose us. Madame Rouge and Immortus will wait at the main facility with a number of the androids until we come with the energy source. After that…"

The roof now caves in. The Brain looks to have a blast destroy his dome and shatter the brain into pieces. Mallah, a giant gorilla looks horrified as their master was destroyed. In a curdling roar of bloodlust Mallah turns with a large cannon on their side and fires sparse red beams. The attacker has red glowing eyes and an unusual smirk with metallic lips. The large machine monster raises its right arm forging some large cannon that soon fired golden blasts that destroy Mallah's weapon.

Mallah lasted no more time than the weapon did. Immortus screams orders to his drones but they are torn to bits by the superior mech. After a few moments the new machine starts to glow with its eyes and the drones stop attacking it. The drones turn on Immortus and Madame Rogue destroying them. Immortus an immortal was skewered and ripped apart. The robot was all Immortus remembers soon in his dying eyes. It steps forward and speaks in an accent, "You were so foolish. Akaige told me you were too unpredictable and dangerous to leave unattended. In truth I planned on joining with your group before his little talk with me. After all, who better to be in the Brotherhood of Evil than Brother Blood?" Brother Blood strolls over in a full coating of metal. He has made himself a robotic form rather than a cyborg. Blood takes to the machine in the far back and tries to use it after several hours with the assistance of the robots his hijacked, the machine produces the necessary power source and Blood grins cruelly before leaving with his little metal army. "Oh, and Mento I left a surprise for you as well." Blood tosses a bomb into the building and leaves.

Mento pulls from the mind as he sees numbers flashing down. "Everyone! Get out of here immediately!"

The Doom Patrol escapes the exploding facility to turn and watch as their leading enemies the brotherhood was finally gone. After the essential feeling of relief amongst the team Mento then starts to contemplate the visions. "Brother Blood where have I heard that name before?"

"Whoa!" Negative Man slaps his forehead with the surprise of the name "Beast Boy has been fighting a guy like that from Jump City! You think they're the same person? I mean, how many people are called Brother Blood."

"Negative man's right! We're going to Jump City and checking out this dilemma. I want to know what Blood could be using that power for."

* * *

Raven steps out from the portal with Fate. Fate and Raven stood outside a beautiful multi-colored entrance of marble stone. The columns wrapping along the walls to hold up the majestic fortress floating in deep space. Raven seems to glare at the stars behind them asking "How do we not suffocate?" 

"Entering this realm you and I are now merely spirits. Our bodies are in the library of my home. I have my reasons for that. When we enter you will see many beings of exceptional power, good and evil, angelic and demonic. Do remember one law no blood is to be shed within these walls as they are holy quarters where the three converse in peace. I can not tell you it is something one must find on their own Raven." Fate and Raven are now interrupted as some unknown figure steps forward, "Thanos…"

Thanos smiles his prefect teeth over a purple stone like jaw. "Fate you are not debating the entry into these halls are you? It is for only those of demonic, angelic, or perhaps even celestial descent not aware mortals." Thanos stood with a blue outfit tight with a vest and pants. His vest has gold trimming at the center and top with fanned shoulders. The boots and gloves are golden fabric which showed his demi-god status to the mortal Fate.

Raven is soon being eyed by Thanos she feels uneasy as his stare fell on her hood and then her leotard. "What?"

"You would be best to not look at her like that Thanos." The voice of a silver surfer who lands next to Raven and Fate causes Thanos to glare more heated rage on this person. Thanos has no eyes but his sockets gave more than enough a glare to hate. "Why is that Surfer?"

"Because she is the daughter of Trigon."

"I saw that Surfer. That does not mean she is not worth looking over!" Thanos turns to Raven again and nods "She reminds me of the lady my goddess Death." Thanos kneels on one knee grabbing Raven's one hand gently "Perhaps beautiful half-demon I may persuade you to be my love with the destruction of a planet, or even an entire solar system?"

"… You're kidding right?"

Fate snorts "Thanos is not kidding. He tries to show his love to Death from destroying entire planets full of life."

"That's horrible!" Raven looks at the now kneeling demi-god before shaking her head "Um, thank you for the offer but I really need to ask you NOT to do that."

"Oh," Thanos frowns for a moment but then he stands up and grins on Raven "Either way I am more than adamant in persuading one such as you with such a true similarity of my goddess. Perhaps allow me the honor of escorting you within the halls of the celestial council?"

"Um thanks but Fate will take me around."

"Fate?" Thanos laughs into the air "Fate can not enter! He is not a celestial or demi-being like myself! He is a mortal and so he can not enter!"

"Then I will be her escort Thanos." Surfer bows to Raven asking "Will you accompany me?"

"You small Surfer? Do not make me laugh more than needed! You do not even know what ways to deal with the celectial entities before you! It would be madness to go inside with this small and weak being."

"I am not so weak Thanos do not forget I have beaten you many times before."

"Indeed." Thanos hears something like a motorcycle engine and grins, "Perhaps Surfer you can get a Celestial to talk to you."

"Of course." Surfer watches the woman on a yellow vespa riding out of the council hurriedly, a guitar strapped on her back and a scarf over her face the orange jacket and pinkish rocker hair makes Surfer nod and raise his hand "May I…"

The yellow vespa barrels over Silver Surfer making him spiral up into the air and back down with his eyes swirling. Fate and Raven blink as the vespa stops and soon rolls back over Surfer who begins screaming in pain. "Hey… don't I know you?"

* * *

The girl was not that happy as she looks from the windows. After getting to Jump City she figured her father would be here. Magneto was not even one hair near the city yet! Scarlet Witch is the daughter of Magneto and with her red long-coat and short black hair with red streaks. With a cruel look as hers most kind of would back off from her but a guy leaps down and holds out some pop-corn. His wide grin a sweet mixed with putrid Toad has tried to charm our lady but she's denied all his advances. Wearing a brown armor over his chest and some ragged outfit Toad merely watches as she sticks up a nose to the gift. "Come on Wanda you haven't eaten for a long time now. A nice show, some pop-corn, this is almost like the movies and a…" Toad latches his tongue to the pop-corn and eats some. "You know, date." 

"Ergh!" Scarlet Witch turns in heated rage to her 'friend' the toad. He has put his neck out for her and lost his place in the brotherhood to help her. She's pretty much dragged him all this way to catch up with her father and get revenge. Still, he keeps quiet with his wishes to return because he loves her. Hell, even if she went into the fires of hell he's going to follow.

* * *

Sinister, Darkseid, Nimrod, and Holocaust have been fighting wildly with the heroes here. Red X and Robin tried repairing Cyborg so he can fight but they seem more confused than helpful. Then a new person pops up he steps down after letting his boosters shut-off. Robin and Red X look astounded with the metal covered hero with red and yellow. His face a constant glare of machine like fancy, his armor was a special metal but some might call it iron-like. "Hey let me check him out." 

"Iron man?"

"That's what they call me." Iron Man chuckles and looks over Cyborg "Hm, he's not too bad in shape except all these crossed wires." The two kind of cough a little. Iron man finishes up and Cyborg stands up rubbing his head "Man what a dream." He looks over seeing Iron Man and sweats "Whoa! Iron Man! What are you doing here?"

"I came because someone destroyed some friends of mine. You ever hear of The Avengers?"

"Your old team has been destroyed? Who did that?"

"I don't know but rumor has it they were headed to this city. I think they have business here too." Iron Man sees the fight and charges his hands with energy "Tell you what I'll help with your pests if you help with mine later."

"Sure!"

Iron Man was about to attack when a blast makes him halt. The villains pull back and look to their latest, and late, ally Brother Blood. The now machine brother stood off the edge of the rooftops grinning to his allies. "I apologize my friends but I had to eliminate some riff-raff, and steal something all of us needed." Blood holds up in his left hand the energy source from the Evil Brotherhood and a device with the right. Iron Man snaps "That device is from the Avengers headquarters! You're the one that killed them all!"

"I didn't kill all of them! I know some one had to have survived for you to be here!" Blood sighs and placed the power source with the device "Either way it's not important! I have more matters to attend to. What of the rest of you did you finish what you were supposed to?" the other villains nodded "Good, then let's say hello to my little friend also soon this world's new master!" Blood turns the switch but the machine does not work. "What? The power source is not registering! I need more time, damn!"

Iron Man charges into the air, "You don't have any time!"

Blood flings out his hand and a small army of robots attack him. The robots were the ones that once were working for the Brotherhood. Beast Boy screams "Dude, those are Immotus's drones! Is the brotherhood here?"  
"No little one I took care of them personally. Holocaust, Darkseid, Sinister, Nimrod keep these brats away from me and the machine! I need more time to situate it!"

The villains nod and begin attacking again. The drones even follow in to the attack. Wanda or Scarlet Witch watches more angrily as this all happens "Where is he?"

* * *

Raven looks at the punker girl on a vespa and shrugs "No…" 

"Are you sure? I could have sworn I know you from somewhere!" Thanos shook his head smirking as Surfer was now drooling in a sort of comma, "Haruko you could not have came at a better time."

"Really what did I do?"

"Nothing…" Thanos smiles to Raven offering his arm out, "May we go my lady?"

Raven looks to the down-and-out Surfer then Fate. Fate shrugs as he was stuck too. "I guess we should get going."

Thanos nods and Haruko starts her vespa again "Wait why are you in a hurry?"

"You didn't hear? Something's up on Earth. I need to… see a friend."

"Atomsk left earth some time ago who else are you trying to find?"

"Just a friend Thanos, mind your own damn business!" Haruko starts off and disappears quickly through space. Raven wraps her arm around Thanos's with a small grin though she was severely worried. Thanos steps her through a doorway and they disappear. Fate sighs as Surfer merely twitches on the ground. "The law makes it so he can not harm her in those walls so I hope she will be safe. As for you a lot of help you turned out to be."

* * *

Slade leaps over the green blasts of Sinister. He uses the staff like a pole-vault to get over the two beams and in the air he swings to connect to the jaw of Sinister. The pale skinned fiend smiles as his head had been pitched but nothing else. Slade lands with a glare as Sinister shakes his head and tsk-tsks his finger to Slade before forming red energy over his eyes. Slade blocks his arms over his face before the blast and accepts the force that flung him into a wall but only lets him peel off an indentation he makes. Sinister steps slowly over and grabs Slade over the face raising him up the wall. Slade grabs the wrist but soon the green energy of Sinister's hand glows on the mask. The blast slams Slade's head through the wall along with his shoulders but his legs dangle outside the wall. Sinister chuckles before turning around to move on. With the back turned Slade latches his legs over Sinister's head and pulls the fiend back then kicks off. Sinister is toppled over on his face while Slade kicks off the wall and now plows a powerful punch to the back. Sinister growls more in anger than pain but turning he fires a beam. 

Slade flies in an arc to the air, but sparse beams of green bob him too and fro. Sinister laughs to his twisted delight while Slade is helplessly suspended in attacks. Slade is then saved by a green shield; Lantern floats over and grabs the now broken and battered Slade. Landing and holding up his shield to continuous barrage of Sinister he asks "You okay?"

Slade, with a crack of his neck and then arm stands up looking angrily at Sinister "He's the one you might want to ask that!"

Sinister glares his eyes hauntingly cold, "He has a regenerative power as advanced as my own. He may be close to as immortal as I am. What a fun little specimen that one-eyed male could be."

Beast Boy tosses up a drone as a giant green gorilla. The drone is swirled into a giant red tornado with a puff of smoke appearing over it and dropping other drones before disappearing. Flash stops in a halt and the tornado breaks apart along with the several drones inside. Flash skids over to an exhausted Beast Boy asking "How many of these things are there?"

"Knowing Immortus he had more than enough."

The puff of smoke shows as Nightcrawler "You know the old villain saying there's never enough for enough."

Several drones land with rifles ready. Flash smirks asking "After we save the day let's go and try our hand at some trio-comedy! I bet we'd bring the house down!"

Flash swirls around a building causing it to crumble on the drones while Nightcrawler escaped with Beast Boy. The two teens smirk at the job done before a pink haze of smoke covers them both. The two begin coughing before Flash drags the smoke with his speed. Flash comes back and the two have fallen a sleep, he notices the shadow ahead and watches the Nimrod holding its right hand up with gold energy, "… Uh-oh."

Nimrod fires tossing Flash back and into Jean Grey the psychic. She barely catches him in the air and lays him down. Nimrod levitates toward Jean charging its hand again but Jean raises her shield to block these blasts. The Nimrod begins calculating on its screen and the beams become stronger each blast. Jean cringes and sweats as she blocks the beams barely with her powers. Cyclops screams as he was behind her, Jean drops her shield and lets Cyclops fire his eye-beam against the golden Nimrod blast. Nimrod is overwhelmed and soon the beam blows up the right arm.

Cyclops smiles a moment, but soon he's horrified as the arm was remolding into an arm again! The bits destroyed have flown into the air and mold together once more. Nimrod raises both hands and fires the beams more destructively tearing up a path of pavement under the force. Cyclops and Jean are barely able to hold up a field of energy and blast to counter the attack. Nimrod halts the attack and turns upward to Iron Man now banging his fists over its screen bobbing its levitating form from side to side. Iron Man pulls back and taps something on his right wrist five red orbs pop out from his waist and float around the Nimrod blasting sparse bolts over its body. Iron Man floats over to the two young mutants asking "Okay, just what the hell is that thing?"

"It's a sentinel. They have been designed to destroy mutants." Jean nods with Cyclops clenching his fist "This one is called Nimrod."

"Nimrod?" Iron Man shakes his head "Tony Starks funded a project called Nimrod it must have been this. Just great he really should read his papers more."

"You're his bodyguard aren't you?"

"Yeah… something like that." Iron Man turns back to his last drone being tossed to the side and one other crushed in a hold by Nimrod. "Let's just try and keep it busy the best we can!"

Wonder Woman reflects the rifle fire with her bracelets. The drones seem to not have the capacity to realize she's using their beams to defeat them. Wonder Woman then has a strong grapple over her waist and arm to be raised and tossed towards another persopn. The person was Kitty she notices and phases through Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman slams through a wall and Kitty watches as that happens. She looks at the attacker to find Darkseid with his glowing red eyes leering on her. Kitty freezes as Darkseid steps at her smirking a little to her fear, "It is right that you fear me girl. I am a god after all."

Starfire screams with her punch to his jaw she had flown in to the save. Starfire grits her teeth and lands a strong upward kick to land Darkseid back and on his side. "You are not a god! I have heard of your cruel and unjust rule of tyranny!"

"Cruel? I agree but unjust?" Darkseid pushes up smirking more as Starfire's eyes glow "How is what I do on my planet unjust?"

"You enslave the weak and make them your personal tools. You treat them as if mere objects and give your other minions seniority over them. You allow the slaves to be tortured and murdered merely as if they mean nothing."

"Nothing means more to me than those mongrel slaves. They have been too useless lately that is why I joined with Akaige. He promises that I can turn some of this planet's populous to new slaves. In fact," Darkseid glares a shined leer on the Tameranian, "I heard you Troqs are very adaptable to harsh environments. Perhaps after I take this planet I can start my way to your world?"

Starfire screams with her two fists planted to Darkseid's face, "Never! I will not allow one such as you to ever touch my home!" Starfire grabs Darkseid's feet and then twirls him around before a massive toss. Darkseid is under a collapsing building but he steps out pushing a wall over and smiling. "We'll see Troq, we will see." He fires the dual red eye beams to Starfire's emerald ones.

Wolverine leaps off from a wall and slashed the upper part of Holocaust. Holocaust glares as Wolverine now lands and runs up slashing his claws over the chest of the crystalline armor. Each scratch does little damage; Wolverine backs up and snarls "What is this freak?"

"Holocaust," Holocaust swings up his club bashing Wolverine into the air, "The greatest horsemen of all time!" Holocaust then waits and swings like a bat to plunge Wolverine into several other heroes and drones. His scream of rage echoes the streets as Holocaust now leaps up and begins a mad slamming of anything too close to him. Smashing Storm from the sky, then tossing a drone onto Cyborg who was going to fire at the back Holocaust screams more aggressive yells as he looses his cool. Blink lands in front of Holocaust making him stop his advance.

"What?" Holocaust glares heated flames for eyes. Blink disappears and reappears over Holocaust's head to land both her needles into his helmet's back. The helmet stays strong and Holocaust is able to reach up and toss her off. Blink is flying off towards a wall before she tucks her legs and arms like a human pinball. The portal opens for her to enter and emerge in front of Holocaust. Holocaust is struck over his face making him arch his head over his back. Blink pulls out from the ball and with her legs out she teleports again. Blink appears over Holocaust letting her two feet plant fast on his abdomen and plows the larger beast into the pavement. Blink was about to teleport again but a club smashes her in the left jaw. Reeling from that she is not able to counter her ankle now grabbed by the other crystal arm hand. The arm swings Blink down hard, and as she moans with pain Holocaust rolls on top of Blink and wedges is club under her throat with the ridged sharp edges protruding onto her delicate neck. "You bitch! You think speed is going to save your hide?" Holocaust growls lowly as he feels adamantium claws on his back and a sonic cannon over his shoulder "They won't save you girl! I own you now!"

Holocaust then feels a tug; he bobs off her as he's being dragged a little distance. Turning on his side Holocaust sees his two legs firmly gripped by a cat-like man in a brown trench, "Get your filthy mitts off Clarice!"

Sabretooth roars like a lion of rage with his pride in danger. Twirling the larger monster on Creed's heels Creed lets go letting Holocaust spin much like a discus. Holocaust slams through a wall over Wanda and Toad. Wanda screams as a beam struck her head knocking her cold, Toad barely grabs her and escapes within the facility.

Creed snorts his nostrils before being gripped with a massive hug, "Mr. Creed! You saved me!"

"Ah! Let me go kid!" The laughter of Logan, the one and only rival of Creed makes him more embarrassed than usual. Clarice lets go still smiling as yet again he saved her. Sabertooth sort of shies his eyes as she gleams on him. Logan notices all too well and murmurs to himself "I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it."

"What was that shorty?"

Scarlet Witch is slowly starting to wake up after several slaps to the face… and licks too. "Eh… yuck, Toad?"

"You're alive!" Toad grips Scarlet tightly with the fear of loosing her was gone he just smiles saying "Guess what your pops showed up! He's over there helping the X-men fight those drones and other nut-jobs. What do you want to do?"

Scarlet Witch sits up and looks to see her father was tossing the drones into each other blowing them all to bits. Scarlet grits her teeth as she charges a strange energy in her hands "He's going to pay."

Toad hears something moving and turns around. His eyes are like hub-caps as he kicks her to the side and leaps onto the roof. Scarlet turns up screaming at him but notices the pipe protruding from the wall she was just at, shaking from a forceful toss. Wanda shakily follows an imaginary trail to the still out stretched hand of Holocaust, who is bending up straight with a snarl and his chest bobbing with heated rueful breaths.

* * *

Thanos was very polite to Raven. Taking her through the halls he tells her of the reason it was here and why the celestials used it from many realities. Celestials are beings that can be considered to some extent gods, much like the Olympians. These beings have great power and that much power clashes time to time, which let's face it what happens when the Olympians clashed in Greek myth? Instead of putting reality in danger and letting things get out of hand the council was designed to keep celestials from blowing up the universe with their battles. Then again the council was not perfect because the celestials still try to get what they want. A ting about any beings not truly omnipotent, they always want their way. 

Now two pearly white doors are in front of Raven and Thanos. Thanos reaches out but a voice catches them,"Hello Raven. It is a pleasure to see you."

Raven turns to the bulged head on a slinkier body. His giant eyes and tunic with a scroll in one hand. "Who are you?"

"Uatu or Watcher to some others. I am a being that keeps records of the worlds all through the cosmos, in several cosmos. My mission is that of a simple one as now I log your world on behalf of knowledge."

"That's a lot of work isn't it?"

"Indeed but I find rewards in my humble duty."

"You are so boring Uatu." Thanos shakes his head before preparing to open the doors "May we enter my dear?"

Raven shrugs before another voice, a voice that still chills her soul speaks behind her, it speaks, "… Daughter."

* * *

Japan, the most technologically advanced and economically powered region of this world. Though not every part of it is so 'evolved'. There's the small town that a single boy walks in plainly in a gray school uniform. He's called Naota Nandaba, and in his small normal town of Mabase he's just as ordinary as any the other kids. Well, except for the robot in his house cleaning all the time called Canti. Yeah, that was only a little time back when Medical Mechanical plant's big plan to smooth out the wrinkles was thwarted. Well, he didn't plan that it just happened. Haruko, Atomsk, Canti, all these beings altered Naota's life but just as they changed it he finally went to a normal one. Naota never worries bout it now. Soon he hears footsteps hurriedly following him. Naota turns to two boys, his friends asking "Well what's up Naota?" 

"Yeah fight any super robots today?"

"Nope." Naota turns and walks with them at his sides with a simple dry attitude, "I didn't do anything. It seems like another simple day today."  
"Don't you mean boring?"

"Life's not boring anymore it's just… simpler."

"Talking about simpler isn't it true you and Ninamori are hanging out more?"

"Yeah, so what's your…"

"Smooch! They are all on Smooch alert!"

Naota glares to the boy with glasses, obsessed with the perverse and wrong for their age minds. "Shove it I'm just spending a little time with her! You really are immature!"

"You knew that Naota he's always immature. Still I hear you spend a real lot more time with her."

"So what?" Naota stops at a vending machine and tries to use a buck but it refuses to vend.

"Smoooooch!"

Naota pulls out a bat and glares "You asked for it!"

The two boys leap back as Naota swings the bat on a vending machine, making it drop a canned item. Naota pulls up the drink and pops the top. Sipping it he looks to the terrified duo. "What?" he turns and leaves pitching the bat over his shoulder, "It's just a drink that machine has been giving me trouble for a while now."

"Sorry… you hear that weird rumor about Little Slugger?"

"Oh, yeah! He's real bad, like a demon with golden skates, a golden bat, and a golden cap! He's gone around and slams his bat over people's heads and stuff assaulting them. Worse yet, they say the bat has been bent from all those people he's been hitting. Somehow he's come all the way here but no one knows why."

Naota shakes his head as they go on a rant. Yeah, that's the exciting news now. Some kid around their age skating around and smacking people with a gold bat. He's not too worried it was just a stupid rumor. The thing is from the alley a young boy smiles a cruel kind of wide grin. He gleams with pride as he slowly strolls out in his in-line skates, rolling and thundering slowly to the streets. The streets have few people out wandering but too busy to notice him. The boy raises his bat to his waist, bent like a dog's hind leg. The three boys are strolling ahead of him, he leers cruel eyes with a red hint in them to Naota's bare scalp. Strolling closer, closer, he was still some distance but slowly making way. Then, far enough from the boys that he could not be heard over some loud noises of a motor, he readies to dash. That was when she came, Haruko pulls in with her vespa between him and Naota, the distance still too great. The boy snarls a little as she now revs the engine twice, staring him down in a cold way with her gold like eyes. The boy skates backwards a little, snarling, and then he turns around fully and rolls off.

Haruko looks over her shoulder to Naota and his two friends oblivious to the whole ordeal. She smirks and drives off as Naota turned; he only saw a yellow scarf going down a road to the side.

* * *

Magneto screams as he slams two robots together making them explode. "Where are they coming from?" 

Robin leaps down and swings his staff through the face of a drone behind Magneto, "I don't know! I only know he's the one controlling them!"

Magneto looks up to the cyborg, Blood. Blood is trying very hard to finish the device but each moment he tries something another thing goes wrong. Like right now Magneto has levitated up and begins tossing drones to the distance "Damn not now!" Blood screams and slams the device down hard. That was when it happens the device flickers and a portal opens. The portal shows through with a cave like inner working where Magneto glares heatedly before returning on the device. On the other side a skeleton like creature with dragon form and human shape grabs several straps on his shoulders "Looks like this is what Akaige mentioned! Move it or loose it!"

The other monster at his side nods and leaps through the portal with things strapped to his back. The two escape barely as Magneto collapses the device in on itself. The portal that had been open seems to shift in and out before collapsing in on itself. Rogue has the skeleton monster land to her front, she blinks kind of confused as it stood up and sees her, looking her up and down it gleams a toothy grin asking "Hey like demon men?" Gaikotsu as he is called steps over and grabs her chin, his eye then twitches before pulling back screaming "The hell is that?"

Rogue's eyes turn to the same green discolored version of Gaikotsu's "Give ya a hint sugar! I have your thoughts and no way whatever hell you're from you'll get that close to me!" Rogue swings out her fist smashing Gaikotsu back to the streets. Gaikotsu pushes up holding his chin, she had his super-demon strength. "I'm always screwing something up!" he stands up and looks to Blood who is in trouble, "Roram! Get up there wills you!"  
The second shadow bows their head. Roram is a deep blue skinned demon with red serpent tattoos stretching his body. The tattoos cover in intricate patterns over his curves of the muscular body. His underbody is baggy green pants, and leather brown shoes. The tattoos cover his underbody but that was covered, these tattoos did show on his bare chest and upper body. The tattoos roll on up his spine to the scalp where two serpents' heads end the tattoos slightly on the brows over the eyes. Red glossed eyes with no pupils look up to Magneto with the constantly stretched grin of sharp teeth. His mouth never moves like normal jaws, rather he just keeps grinning. Roram has a long tail of black hair from the back of his head flapping in the wind. Roram leaps up to the roof blocking Magneto and Blood.

Magneto raises a brow as the monster rolls out their palms towards Magneto "What are you?"

Roram then pulls back his palms and with a collection of wind with both arms he flings them forward to create a gale that tosses the still shocked Magneto off the roof and to the streets. Magneto readies his powers when a scream is heard. "Wanda!" Magneto disappears into the collapsed building leaving Roram looking at the other heroes. Blood smirks as he looks to the destroyed device and steps on it more "This is all as he predicted. A truly ingenious evil this Akaige shows to be."

* * *

Raven looks over her shoulder cautiously to the red skinned, four eyed monster she calls father. He has changed to a human sized version but his face harbors unimaginable hate. Raven feels a chill as he reaches to his side growing a fireball. Raven is shadowed by the taller, more sized Thanos. "Trigon! You know never to attack in these halls! It is a holy place which no demon, angel, or even celestial may ever disgrace! To do so is heresy!" 

"I care not for your laws! I am Trigon, fire god of the damned! I make my own laws!" He raises the orb and readies to attack his insolent daughter but Uatu reminds "This is not just a place of holy meaning but much more! Break a law here and consequences can easily become more than you can counter!"

Trigon glares on Uatu "You and my daughter I could expect." He snorts towards Thanos "However you? What makes you turn on our darker evils?"

"I am still evil Trigon. I merely find this company of a beautiful maiden more enjoyed than your ongoing heated stench of decaying flesh."

"Insolent!" Trigon growls with his fist clenched but moves on. He has not the power to face Thanos anyway, not here especially. Thanos smirks as Trigon disappears into the doors. "May we follow my dear?"

"If you insist." Raven smirks a little after seeing her father so pissed. That put her in a much better mood. Entering the room it was quiet. Thanos nods as they head to sit on the side with the most demons and evil beings. "That is the side of Akaige." He turns to the other side of the room, "This side is for En Sabah Nur."

Raven glares to that side and Thanos looks to the demonic side, "Perhaps…" Thanos smirks before taking to the other side, "We should give our assistance to En Sabah Nur."

"Thank you."

Thanos halts, "What?"

"Thank you. For helping me and sitting with me."

Thanos now seems to blush, "Even lady Death never thanks my worship of her. She is forever silent with my gifts and services."

Thanos sits to Raven's right as Uatu sits to her left. Behind them sat another holistic being with a glowing hammer. "Tis a pleasure to see another within this matter against the rise of a demon over a celestial."

Raven looks back to the long blonde haired man who spoke with an old accent but he was young looking "Who are you?"

"Thy name is Thor, god of thunder and lightning. I am a proud warrior and master of the elements. When word spread unto my land of Akaige and En Sabah Nur, I decided to come and see what it is to become of Earth." Thor nods to Uatu, but not to Thanos "This is a grand occasion for us."

"Good time to you as well Thor." Thanos snarls out. Thor glares his blue eyes and ignores Thanos. Thor looks to his side to another being, a god of lightning and the sky, "Raiden do you know what it is that will occur?"

Raiden was another world's god. His white suit with blue apron and symbols along with a strange straw hat with a cone shape, Asian in design. His eyes bolt with energy, and with a self-gathered intelligence he shakes his head no "This can go either way. All I know is Shao Khan has been very impressed with Akaige."

Raven notices now the being Raiden looks at. Shao Khan, a strange demon god form Raiden's world has a human face with six small horns on the forehead. His red eyes look with a pleased smirk. On his lap was a half-skull helmet that only covers the upper-face and skull but not the jaw. It has two V angled horns, and like his warrior straps and pads with many spikes he too seems fearfully powerful as all the celestials in this room were.

Then the voices of some strange energy beings on higher chairs speak. The one speaking is a very light gray color; between it and the dark gray energy was a mid-gray energy. The light gray speaks "We have heard both sides of this matter. En Sabah Nur stand for us."

En Sabah Nur nods and stands. He was a spiritual projection of himself. This shining entity looks mostly like a pharaoh, which in his time he was. The glowing body stands tall with not looking at the other prospective clicking his three claws on the countertops. "Akaige, stand for us."

Akaige, the evil demonic shadow being stood tall. His hood bends slightly as if merely moving, but Raven knew his eyes glowed towards her for a second or so. "We have reviewed the case thoroughly. On one side En Sabah Nur's claim was validly made several years ago."

A female voice muses, "Yet the demon has as much right to claim through the passing of Trigon. This means both have an actual claim of noticeable right."

The middle, mid shade gray finishes, "In this case, both entities have the right of claim. Which ever is able to materialize into that realm may do as they wish. Both may even exist at the same time if need be but this will not change the claim. If they are unable to fulfill their claim however than it is invalid and so another may rise instead. Akaige, En Sabah Nur, this matter is yours to take into your own hands from now on. Whether the age of Apocalypse, or age of Akaige, we are not going to claim either has more right than the other. May you both find the power and strength you seek."

"Thank you elders." En Sabah Nur bows and turns to leave. He bumps into Akaige, snarling, "In time I will prove I am stronger than you."

_"Not before I can reign supreme over your world, Apocalypse."_

Raven and the others are outside before she asks "What was the point of all this?"

Fate chuckles after hearing from Uatu what happened "Then all is as planned. Raven, the device Akaige was going to use to enter your world was destroyed by Magneto. Without it Akaige is as powerless as En Sabah Nur to enter Earth. Your world is safe once more."

Raven was confused, then it hits her "This whole thing was a distraction! You planned to keep Akaige here while the device was being destroyed! Now my world is safe! Thank you!" Raven hugs Fate who nods happily with her. "You are welcome."

The laughter then catches them. Akaige steps from the last step and bats a hand at them, _"That device was not my way to your world. I have other means. This little ordeal was expected."_ Akaige glares his eyes on Fate, _"As for you I will take care of you as well. I have many matters to take care of on Earth and you will be among them."_ Akaige opens a portal to some place when Shao Khan grabs his shoulder; with him was Trigon. _"What is it?"_

"I wish to speak about your recent conquest. I feel it is a perfect chance to gather worthy souls." Shao Khan smiles more as Akaige nods, "Excellent! Let us talk over it at my realm! We will feast, and then plan strategy!"

Akaige shakes his head no _"I have other plans but I will speak with you on this matter a few moments before I leave."_A glint of glee he turns to Raven, _"For Earth."

* * *

_

**(Music: The Reason)**

Wanda charges her magic energy and then tosses it on Holocaust. Holocaust simply stomps over to her and tosses a desk that was in his way idly. Scarlet Witch glares before yelling "Back off!"

"Make me!" Holocaust grins his little side grin as he slams his club through another desk. A hex blast and he merely shrugs it off and continues the march. Scarlet Witch backs into a wall she turns to it and wide-eyes the wall in her way. Holocaust stomps up to her smirking as she begins to fire harder into his chest. "Night-night, Slappy!" Holocaust readies his club to a smashing swing when Scarlet Witch screams. Holocaust swings but a green tongue wrapped his club and yank it back up slowly. Holocaust pulls in his swing still before realizing what is happening. With a glare up he sees Toad with a determined look pulling with his tongue on the club. Holocaust glares and pulls harder not noticing Scarlet Witch squeeze out of the club's path. Toad lets his tongue go and screams "Go on Wanda! Get out of here; I've got this over-grown microwave!"

Wanda blinks confused as Toad leaps from the roof to a wall narrowly dodging the blast of flame from Holocaust. Holocaust begins streaming the flames off the roof to the wall; Toad leaps and dodges to a spry hold on the floor. Toad slicks out his tongue and wraps an ankle, dragging out a foot Holocaust roars in his falling back and slamming to the floor. Toad glares his eyes sternly to Wanda, "Go on girl! Get out of here!" then a scream as a metal pole was ripped through his left shoulder. Toad glares his eyes on Holocaust who swings his arm to dislodge a large pipe in the floor then jam it into a shoulder. Holocaust smirks before Toad spits a gray goop onto Holocaust's smug face. As Holocaust tries to pry the goop Toad screams "I'm not afraid of you! I'm the Toad! T, to the O, to the A with the D, homie!"

"You're going to be road-kill in five seconds!" Holocaust rips off the goop and screams his monstrous scream in a full charge after the now hopping Toad. The two are headed into some other room as Wanda looks on in horror; Toad is not strong enough to beat that thing. Then she sees her father, Magneto levitate to her side, "Dad! You have to save Toad!"

Magneto looks to the room she's pleading him to go to. "Yes, let's go!" She nods and the two head towards the room.

Toad is on the roof waiting as the slower monster did not see him. Holocaust steps into the room turning from one side to another as Toad waited. Toad then sees the beast turning up and so he leaps down with his two legs spryly pulled. Toad kicks Holocaust strong making the beast topples on its one leg. Holocaust catches himself, and in a snarl he swings his club over the ground tearing up floorboards and into Toad tossing the smaller fighter into a wall. Toad screams in pain as his body was tossed. Holocaust grins as he grabs a table at his side and tosses it. Toad leaps past it and to the wall. He is then struck by a chair.

Holocaust leaps up over the room's items with club poised in a punch. Toad turns up and screams in a leap to the beast. The armor of Toad's body helps him as he forces the larger beast up into the air backwards and into the roof. Toad feels an aching back, but he ignores as he lands and hops from the soon dropping behemoth. Holocaust pushes up seeing Toad try a leaping dual kick, Holocaust grabs a leg, snapping it Toad screams with tears in his eyes "No more of this leaping around shit! I'm having frog-legs for dinner!"

Holocaust tosses toad to the side while raising his club, flames licking at the points Holocaust licks his lips in the suit. Toad slams onto a wall and watches the flames pouring at him fast and fierce. Magneto and Wanda enter into the room to see Toad. Magneto raises some metal objects in the room to block the fires but they are melted immediately. Wanda screams and fires a stream of flame between the other blasts to block. Toad grins as he pushes off the wall. Slowly crawling with his arms Toad sees the face of Wanda, "Like my guardian angel, a beautiful one at tha-." Toad has a glowing gold foot slam on his back, cracking his already crackled armor. Holocaust begins pressing more until Magneto charges his energy with Scarlet Witches. The two fired a beam mixed, and Holocaust has a twitch in his one eye, "Ah… shit."  
The blast tares Holocaust out of the building and into the room opposite of them. Toad feels a set of arms wrap him tightly, and a smirk he asks "That you Wanda? Cause, I don't like your pops like that, sorry."

Wanda, smiling at the stupid humor says "Yes Toad it's me… why did you do that?"

"Because…" Toad grins his little grin, his armor chipping off and arm bloody from before. They lock faces with the fires burning around them, "The reason is you."

**(Music: Ends)**

Wanda feels his lips touch hers, she normally felt disgusted or upset but now she really felt… happy. Kissing back Toad is even happier than with just a kiss. Magneto, looking with mixed surprise hears the shifting of rubble "I'll get you my pretty… and your little toad too."

* * *

Naota steps to his home's door. It was late, and night fell on their town. The world was going so strange today. The Justice League had members all over their town looking around. He didn't know why they just did. Every part of the world was being skewered. Naota walks into his house and turns into the living room. The world goes white, comic like, and in a manga style scream Naota is pointing to the girl eating noodles at the table, "You! You again! What is going on?" a speech bubble shows him screaming to her. 

"Hey!" The girl is waving with an innocent expression, "What you been up to slugger?"

"What's going on? Dad?"

A man is drawn sitting and eating with glasses and hair in a tail, "Hm, what is it Naota my son?"

"It's her! She's back! I thought she was gone! What's going on?"

"Well…" Naota's father screams "Wait!" he rips through the screen of manga snapping "I'm sorry we just can't do this!" he falls back with Naota panting, an old man is wheezing the corner before a robot shocks his system "This manga in a fan fiction… just too hard…"

"What? What are you talking about?" Naota coughs as he sits at the table. Naota's father smirks "Sorry, it's not important. The thing was the writer thought since he was doing a scene with all of us characters he should try the manga form. Still, it was a valiant effort but he couldn't seem to do it in a style fitting manga. I mean, a picture is worth a thousand words but a thousand words are not worth a manga, do you agree?"

"…." Naota glares to Haruko who is slurping her noodles "What is she doing here?"

"Oh she's here to help around the house. I hired her as our…"

"Housekeeper?"

"Exactly! Gee, that's not original is it Takun?"

"Don't call me that!" Naota takes and leaves up stairs, "I don't believe this after all this time!"

Naota sits in his room talking online to a friend. This person he met some time ago, she was fun and really nice. His age, and living near his town she was with her sister, Ayeka, and several other girls. One was really tough, Ryoko, and another was super smart, and Washu then there were the two girls that were best-friends, Mihoshi and Kiyone. Then, you had the boy they all had a thing for except the two last ones, Tenchi. This girl, he knew her as Sasami, but her Pen-name was PrettySammy65839

PrettySammy65839:Lol

PrettySammy65839:She's in the house again? Same girl and all?

CantiSama67495:Yeah same one. She's going to cause trouble I know it.

PrettySammy65839:You like Ninamori, right?

CantiSama:…Yeah

PrettySammy65839:You like this girl… right?

CantiSama:…Yeah

PrettySammy65839:Lol

PrettySammy65839:You're as bad as Tenchi!

"So," a guitar is plucked, Naota looks up startled from Haruko hanging half off the bed, her one eye opens up and she looks at Naota grinning, "She your girlfriend?"

"No… she's just a friend." Naota turns and types "Got to go, talk again soon?"

PrettySammy65839:Yes, bye!

Naota signs off and turns to Haruko "What are you dong here?"

"Taking care of the house." Haruko plucks a cord, "So, Naota has one girlfriend in town, another in some other town. Naota's becoming a regular ladies-man, a play-boy, naughty-naughty, Naota."

"Whatever…" He looks to a clock and grabs his jacket and puts it on. He has a T and shorts "I'm leaving."

"Going to see," Haruko plucks a cord, "Your girlfriend?"

"… Yes." He closes the door. Haruko blinks before falling off the bed, a scream as she hits the floor. Haruko leaps up to the window and watches Naota meeting up with a violet haired girl with a pink coat on and miniskirt, "Ninamori? She's his new girl?" Haruko turns with a huff, "They deserve each other then!"

Haruko does not notice someone skating down the road behind the two very slowly.

Haruko lies against the bed idly drumming her guitar. She listens to the T.V. down stairs, "So Little Slugger continues to frighten the populace of our town. Reports say, 'He's like a demon lurking in the shadows. He strikes the head so hard he can split your insides out.'" Haruko squints her eyes, "What was that?"

She turns to the side, "Akaige is coming… some how…" Her eyes pop with a string snapping, 'Little Slugger… just like Naota is a Little Slugger…

"No!" Haruko runs up to the window and looks to see nothing… "Naota!" she leaps out of the window screaming "Canti! Get out here!"

A blue robot looks out of the window to the back with his screen showing a '?' Haruko lands inside a garbage can, fumbles inside it with screams and grunts, then pops out with her vespa and goggles on. "We have a world to save!"

Canti nods and tries to hurriedly finish some dishes. Haruko's head pops through the window, screaming with a red vein on her head "Don't worry about those! Let's go!"

Canti is really trying to hurry but Haruko growls and revs off on her vespa. Her mind is racing, she didn't know that boy on the street was Little Slugger, the same one that was attacking people! Worse yet, the little monster was after Takun! Her mind realized too late what has happened! Akaige knew any other plan would have been seen that he's being watched too closely. Somehow the good-guys could find his plot elsewhere, but this little town on the other side of the world? She snarls, "Devious bastard!"

Ninamori gasps, "Her? After all this time?" Naota nods and she shakes her head "Wow how do you feel?"

"Fine." She nudges his head, "No, I'm not growing anything out of my head this time!"

"Just making sure." Ninamori turns as they are on the bridge, "Isn't this where it all started last time?"

"Yeah. I thought maybe I should come here and gather my thoughts." Naota sighs, "I'm so upset she's back. The thing is… I'm…"

"Happy?" Naota turns to Ninamori who has slumped over onto the railing to see herself on the water. She sighs; he does the same thing next to her. "I guess you still love her?"

"Yes."

"… Do you love me?"

"…." Naota opens his mouth; a blur passes the water's surface with a loud thwap sound. Naota blinks, "What was that?" he then sees Ninamori falling back on the water's surface. Naota turns to see Ninamori, her eyes glazed over and her head bleeding on the ground "Ninamori!" Naota bends down and scoops her into his arms, eyes wide in horror. He hears a sound, the sound of skates braking. Naota glares angrily at the golden bat now sparking with a second pass over the bridge. "You're him aren't you?" Naota grabs his bat and as that golden one came close he swings to block it.

Little Slugger strikes hard and knocks away Naota's bat and to the side. Naota looks horrified, Little Slugger grins as he sways along and skids to a stop to turn. "All I wanted was you." Little Slugger tips his hat to Naota, "But that girl was in my way. I didn't want to kill her. Granted, I never really planned it but maybe I could have let her live. Or maybe she is alive I don't know. How about you check if you live through this!" Little Slugger begins a charge hearing the now revving engine. Haruko pulls out her guitar and tosses it like a boomerang; Little Slugger is still skating as he ducks. Naota ducks the toss, but while bending back up he hears the sound of air rushing and soon the bat hitting his forehead.

Haruko screams Naota's name, and as Naota is arching up into the air he feels a pain like he never felt. Little Slugger keeps skating with a larger smile over his face. Naota lands on his back, a little blood trailing his forehead from the force. Haruko skids to a stop, her eyes lucidly shaking at what she just saw, "Naota…"

Naota stirs, he sits up, his head aches and he grabs it. His head aches more… and worse. He screams as his head seems to begin bulging at three points. His screams begin to echo as some kind of three fingered claw reaches from his head out to the sky, twisting up to the air as it reveals itself. Naota now drops, screaming and crying in pain as the claw is with an arm, shoulder, hood, and body. The entire form rips from Naota's head and steps onto the bridge gently. Naota has snot dripping his nose from the massive pains of his head and looks up between his tears. Haruko revs her engine as she was gripping to tightly her vespa. Little Slugger has turned and knelt down to the figure now freed. Standing with his three fingered claw clasping tightly was… The Age Of Akaige.


	5. Falling Unto Darkness

The Age of Akaige

By Pakkrat

Chapter 5: Falling Unto Darkness

Note: Sorry I took so long to update. I made sure to throw some great fights in and shortened some of the stuff but it is still worth the time to read. Most important, I do not own Teen Titans, Justice League, X-men, Fooly Cooly, Paranoia Agent, Avengers, Doom Patrol, Oh… I just own the Kagejin and some other things if I say so. Other than that, they belong to others whom are the rightful creators unless I specifically say otherwise! This chapter has GRAPHIC death scenes so if you honestly feel disturbed I apologize. Truth be told you're probably disturbed anyway if you read this long! Oh... ho... not funny?

After the initial shock, the first few moments of realization she was too late, Haruko revs her engine as a warning to the demon ahead of her that she was coming. She could have just sat there in silence for all the good it did. Akaige had been mainly captivated from his forming into reality. Every time he achieves the forming Akaige is never surprised how it feels. His whole epidermis has now this tingly sensation as his flesh is made real and his claw always seems to tingle a little more each time. The noise does seem to register as it comes in on a charging sort of rush.

Akaige turns back to Haruko who is riding closely on her own heels with the guitar swung off her shoulder and now in her one arm for a swing. Akaige glares those mist like eyes on her attack and swings his claws not at her but Naota. The claw digs into Naota's head not cutting him, but instead into the head like the vortex it proves to still be. From it a serpent like hilt is pulled out, and from an open mouth decoration with fangs as hand guards the hilt shows a long, largely fanned out blade. The blade is to a sword, the flat paddle sword has razor edging, and the end is tipped in a forked two prong as if the blade positioned from the hilt were an actual tongue of a snake.

Akaige waits some time for Haruko to close before clashing his sword to the guitar and as she passed by he turns with his swing to follow her now riding past. Akaige watches her wobble a little bit, but she steadies and prepares to cross again. The vespa rides fast like before as some sort of mechanical steed. Akaige waits and this time instead of clashing his sword with her guitar he drops to his knees as in a squat and flings the sword from his side. The vespa crossed over the blade and the tires are cut into two pieces each, the vespa wobbles and weaves before simply allowing itself to stop. Haruko falls with her vespa and soon she now stood up again glaring at Akaige tightening her grip on her guitar. Haruko was ready to begin charging on Akaige like a mad woman but his words catch her off-guard, "_We could fight till the end of time Haruko and still it would not matter. Take your boy and girl, leave, and if you are wise you will leave this world to me."_

Haruko looked a little like a deer in some headlights from this, an ultimatum? "Are you afraid of me?"

"_Sweet kage no."_ Akaige chuckles under his own breath before turning around and finding Little Slugger rolling up to his back "_I merely have other matter to attend to. Time is of the essence as I know my enemies are as we speak conspiring to destroy me before my time is up. I must hurry and make the strike on their field and morale swift and precise. In order to win this war, I must use to my benefit all the knowledge I have on them. Even you," _Akaige turns his head over his shoulder to Haruko, "_I know you have no allegiance to the earth. You came for the boy well take him. I do not need to kill him I got what I wanted, now be gone."_

Haruko king of looks at Naota who is tiredly crawling to Ninamori. She now finds Canti is on his way floating in like Buddha or something. "You're late… take Ninamori to the hospital, Naota too!"

Canti lands and grabs the two children tossing them over his shoulders. Canti floats to the hospital as Haruko turns to Akaige, "I really don't want any part of your war! Just stay out of my way Akaige!"

"_Funny, I thought I just said the same thing to you."_ Akaige turns on his heels a little and bows, brushing his arms he leads the path for Haruko to cross the bridge and Little Slugger who is confused merely skates to the side of Akaige letting Haruko go. Haruko has her guitar in a prepared swing as she slowly crosses the bridge in front of the two. Akaige waits for her to leave and be at the end of the bridge before returning to Little Slugger, Slugger asks "Why didn't you kill her?"

"_It is unnecessary for now. If she gets in the way I will." _Akaige flips his cape as he turns, Slugger skates slowly with a smile with Akaige, "_Besides, we have an entire planet to burn to the ground. We can worry about one punk-rocker girl and her friends later on."

* * *

_

In the strange council gathered at the steps were Raven and her associates of that group. Thanos was still with them though a part of him knew he would leave soon. Raven sat with more concern than ever, how could Akaige be planning to enter her world? Fate stood with the most distain, not upset over the fact Akaige had some other way but in something else "I guess it is fate. Raven," Raven looks up to him with worry, "I need you to return to my library with me. There is little time, but much to do."

Raven was confused but nods "Yes Dr. Fate. What are you planning?"

"I know a spell that can only be used once; it slows down time in one space. I will teach it to you first, and then send you and my books to that one space where you may learn in a few hours, what may take many years for others."

The others in the group are murmuring in hushed questions. Only The Watcher nods adding "This spell is one I taught him from a dead race of time-travelers. The plan is you will not be affected, rather displaced in time itself. What is only a few hours here or on earth will pass as years for you Raven, but your body will not age any different than if still in your world and time. From those outside the spell's casting range you will seem to be moving at speeds unfathomable, you could learn all the spells Fate knows and many he has not yet learned. That is why we have done this it is our only option left now."

Raven looked very frightened, "How can you trust me with this? I may not be able to learn all those spells in time, or wield them well enough. What if Akaige is stronger or if…"

Fate shakes his head to her questions before screaming "Enough! This is not a time to question but act! Raven, will you do it or not?" Raven looks at Fate, his eyes seem not angry but frightened. She nods and he looses the fear, it is now calm and relieved. "Good let us move on Raven."

"Telegram!" Raven and the others watch as a fat little man waddles over with strange blue paint on his face. Red flaming eyes burn with a cruel and decayed toothy grin. His apparel was a red traveling message boy with many stains and grease marks. He holds out to raven a message with many dirty marks and smudges on it; she takes and opens it to find something inside. "… Oh… gross…"

Fate looks over her shoulder and cringes. Even Silver Surfer who had awoken sees the item and falls back unconscious again. "These are just pictures of you… in a…"

The Clown faced fat-man blinks before taking the pictures, "Oops! Wrong message! That's for my little demon-honey back home." The fat man shakes free of the clothes showing off very ratty clothing of a jacket with tons of buttons and patches along with loose brown pants. His shirt was a black and yellow streaked one that covers most, but not the navel of his overly bulged belly. "Aw, didn't like my sexay-boday?"

Thanos glares on the fat man, "He is a demon of very distasteful nature."

"Hey, I resemble that remark!" The Clown smiles on Raven before taking a bow, "Greetings kid the name's Violator. I've been sent to help out your team. Well, not me necessarily but I did bring someone that can help your stupid little bunch."

The sound of chains make the groups turn and find a large red mass swirling around a solitary dark figure. That figure has a black skin like armor, white streaks from the chest and covering around his glowing green eyes. "Ladies and gents, allow me to introduce the one, but not really the only, Spawn."

The long red caped specter steps forward with his armor covered skin glistening a charge of green bolts. His eyes rounded with white decorative color makes a mask on his armor's face, but the eyes looking out were pure green energy. The long cape moves like water and soon his hands with red gloves and spiked knuckles offer out to shake Raven's smaller, paler hands "They call me Spawn. My real name is Al Simmons."

"We, in the hell world, like to call him Mr. Crispy!"

Spawn glares his eyes in a surge of energy making Violator hop back rubbing his fingers like a parent to a child, "Ah, ah, ah! Clown no like Crispy the gods are here. Just between you an me, I'm not too stupid to not know when to call it quits pal! You and your little friends have fun I prefer the company of the deceased to good doers."

Violator disperses in flames leaving Spawn to turn to Raven; his downcast view makes her uneasy so he offers his hand again "It is a pleasure to meet you Raven."

"You… know my name?"

"I do. Actually, not many minions of hell do not know your father nor his many offspring. I still wonder why he uses the same woman in each dimension when always the daughter or son born is just as stubborn as the last."

"My father was never one for common sense. He feels if you brute it out long enough sooner or later you'll win."

Spawn chuckles to Raven's relief he seems sort of nice. "So what is next?" Spawn notices the looks of the others "I'm here from another time and reality with extra power just for this fight. Malebolgia may hate me, but he knows I'm able to fight better than most his other Spawns."

Fate nods "I see Raven." Raven looks up to Fate, "We will awake in my library where I have some materials to help you train. After that, I know what you must do. You must train to achieve a power of unimaginable limitless strength, a mystical plane beyond normal mages." Fate grabs Raven's shoulders "I will leave you in capable hands, and then they will train you fully to use your powers like you never have before."

"Why don't you?"

Fate notices Thanos's interest, "Because… I won't be alive long enough to teach her."

The many beings aside from The Watcher all gasp. Fate is soon bombarded in questions but he speaks up "I know my fate. Akaige will not allow my intervention to go unnoticed. I must not give away what is happening, that you are training. If Akaige realizes Raven is being readied to fight him then all is lost. She is our last hope since her power is able to feed off her emotions."

"That's the problem! My emotions make my powers too unstable and…" Fate grabs her shoulder, "Raven, trust me this will not end poorly. When your training is over your power will be unimaginable." Fate nods, "Let's go. There is little time left." Fate looks to Spawn, "Go to the city and fight. With your powers and skills you may be capable of holding off the attentions of Akaige's men a little longer."

"Whatever." Spawn is disappearing through a portal and Raven now feels Fate opening another one. "Now we must train. This is your teacher."

Raven enters the library where she sees one book, one familiar book. "Malchior!"

* * *

In the city of Metropolis a very familiar hero scours the air. He is called Superman and soon he lands to the side of a news van before sneaking inside of it. Outside, a woman in a burgundy suit has just finished her report on some kind of bank heist. She has black hair and blue eyes but as she was headed to the truck with a smile on before a young man asks "Seeing Clark again?" 

Louis Lane, the famous female reporter turns to the young boy with red hair and dimples, "Jimmy Olsen? What is with you and always trying to see me and Clark together?" She glares more in anger making Jimmy cringe, "Oh, and why do you call him by that name? Do you know what would happen if any villain learnt who Superman really is?"

"Sorry Louis. I just find myself having trouble figuring out one is the other."

"Why?" Louis shrugs, "The only real difference is the glasses. I still can't believe I didn't figure it out until after he told me." Louis opens the door and looks back saying "Take care Jimmy. Me and Clark need some ALONE time."

"Sure thing Louis." Jimmy turns kicking a can. Clark or Superman was his idol. Whenever he could he likes to hear what is happening in his life. As he turns into an alley to get back on to his apartment building he moans to himself, "I wish Superman would hang out with me."

Jimmy kicks the can into the darkness of the alley. The can then bounces back out of the shadows and to Jimmy's foot. Jimmy blinks and looks up slowly, a chill up his spine as the shadows looked at him with a purple mist for eyes, "_Oh,"_ The three claws lay calmly to the petrified face, "_It's your lucky day Jimmy."

* * *

_

In the van, Superman just smiles as Louis Lane strolls to him seductively. "So big guy what all have you been up to lately?"

"Oh the same old, same old. Saving the world, stopping mad scientists, and now finding the secrets of the Kagejin."

"Kagejin?" Louis raises a brow as her investigator nature plays itself out. "Sounds like something Luthor made for mothers day."

"Nope. This one seems more out of his league. Still, I have a bad feeling. J'onn really has been worried on this one Louis."

Louis nods and leans onto her command prompters. Sort of taking that serious movement Superman smirks asking "You loosing track on us little lady?"

"What?" Louis shakes her mind free, "I just was thinking how strange things have been. All this commotion in Jump City and now this."

"What commotion?" Superman then hears knocking. He glares and bolts to the side as Louis opens the one door. "What is it Charlie?"

"Man, you know Jimmy? He's on the top of that building threatening to jump!"

"What!" Louis looks to Superman who was just as worried. "Which one?"

"The really tall one Louis! That one over there!"

Louis nods and pushes Charlie back out the van "Okay, let's go and see what we can do… and pray that SUPERMAN will COME in time."

Superman waits for her to leave and flies off. It was fast and speedy that Superman was on the roof. "Jimmy! What's wrong Jimmy?"

Jimmy was not speaking. Soon Superman realizes they were not alone. Jimmy is being held on the edge by one arm stretched from the distance where Superman couldn't see. "Who are you? Let him go!"

"_So many wishes. First Jimmy wishes to hang out with Superman. Now you wish me to let him go."_ From the shadows Akaige steps out with his arm bending like a large serpent. The claws seem to twitch allowing the jacket holding Jimmy over the edge slightly twain, "_Now, since Jimmy's wish put him into such danger just how dangerous would wishing me to let him go be right here?"_

Superman glares with more concern "Okay just stay calm. Don't do anything you'll regret."

"_I never regret the things I do. It is one of the perks of being a soulless monster."_ Akaige lets go of Jimmy only to grab him again. Superman twitched in an attempt to dive after. "_Another perk, I don't have the weakness of caring for weak creatures like this one. That was a quick reflex though. Hey, how fast are you really?"_

"As fast as a speeding bullet." Superman smirks a little, "I'm also faster than you."

Superman does a plow to now have something flutter past him. Superman halts on his heel and turns to see Akaige was on the other side, his cape falling down round him like he had moved. "_You don't want to bet on that would you? Remember your age has slowed you a little. If only you were in your peak physical condition this might be more interesting."_

"What do you want?" Superman notices the look in his eyes, a chill up his spine he hears the grim voice say, "_You people make stupid wishes, when you know all I want is to make people suffer."_

Superman begins his start to chase after the soon falling Jimmy. Akaige has released Jimmy and moves his claw to grab Superman's wrist. Superman flies past the grapple turning with that momentum he swings a strong punch. Akaige pitches his head to the backhand of the punch and pushed forward to pound his knuckles into the ribs of Superman. Superman cringes as he's hit hard, but with a push off from his arm Akaige is forced to let go. Superman now turns off and blasts towards the pavement. Akaige turns down the building sort of chuckling, "_Simple minded."_

Superman flew fast and strong trying to pass the windows as if a flash. Jimmy was far enough ahead so Superman used all his speed to reach out in a desperate attempt which catches the one leg sleeve of Jimmy. The sudden stop jolts Jimmy awake making him look to the ground than gulp before being plopped down. "Thanks Superman!"

"Hey it is you after all."

Jimmy stands up and brushes off his clothes. Superman now sort of thinks back to the fight and remembers the moment Akaige had pushed behind his punch… he said something…

"_Don't you wish you had more time… with her?"_

Superman looks in some horror. His eyes loose sight of the young boy and more on the van half way across the city.

* * *

Louis Lane rushes into the van sighing as her cameraman was busy telling her how the building was all the way across town, and how she should know that. Louis knew she didn't want to see Jimmy getting killed anyway, but Superman never fails. "That's Superman. Nothing can go wrong with him around." 

Louis sits down looking at the black TV screen in the van, her eyes shake as a figure looms behind her, their claw clasping her head it speaks "_You wouldn't like to bet on that would you?"

* * *

_

Superman lands at the van and looks at it. Silent and peaceful as it was Superman had a strange chill. Superman reached forward but as his hand made to the handle, a scream and the van shook violently. Superman was caught off guard, he steps back and watches as a flood of crimson sank under the doors. "Louis!" Superman rips off the doors and his eyes view a scene of horror. He turns away from the dilapidated form and begins gagging then vomiting. She was torn up, claws dug through her clothes and flesh tangling her tendrils and intestines with the mulched crimson mush that was once his beloved Louis.

Superman now notices the foot stepping over the mess and out the truck. As he steps down the blood moves from his feet and leaves a bare spot on the ground. "_I find bathing in blood is more a leisure activity. This moment I am on duty."_ Akaige steps over a few feet away from Superman rolling his hand in his palm, blood dripped from the claw hand to the ground. "_Is it not a sad thing? Your duty keeps you from all you love."_

"You killed her? Why? Why did you kill her?" Superman's fists are so tightly clenched that his knuckles were white. Akaige notices and in a pleased voice he says "_To show you the thing you never wish to believe. That you can't save them all the time."_

"That's it! I know that! What's wrong with you?" Superman flies up and punches but Akaige bends on his one leg pushing up into a rising uppercut. Superman is flat on his back when Akaige comes down with his one knee bearing on Superman's neck, the claw clenching to Superman's face.

"_What's wrong with me? Nothing is wrong with me Superman but you, there is much wrong with you. I'll speak to you again soon. I just have some other business." _Akaige latches off his claw and stands up, a chuckle and he says "_I merely wanted to see your actions to the death of the woman now."_

Superman fires his eyes but Akaige swirls into his cape and the masses swirl into the shadows disappearing to the darkness. Superman stands up grabbing his face and looking at something he never saw before. When the claw gripped his head it cut him, Superman saw _his_ blood. "He can cut me?" Superman looks then to Louis's body, and his eyes water "Why her? Why did it have to be her?"

* * *

Raven studied the books and spells with no trouble thanks to, surprisingly, Malchior. Malchior explained that he and Akaige had some past together which kept him very weary around the shadow lord. Akaige has "forgiven" the past to a degree. Still, Malchior wanted out of the way of this war and asked that Fate let this book be placed in the hands of another outside their dimension. Malchior's method of teaching was very useful. It almost seemed like Malchior never betrayed Raven the way she smiled. Then, as the memory returns Raven returns to her training not the memories. 

Fate was watching as she rose up her hands and formed an energy jade colored phoenix in her palms. Then he turns to the large doors that would lead to his library. "Malchior… the time is now."

"What?" Malchior turns to the doors and nods "I sense it too. Raven my dear we must go to a new location."

"Where?" Raven looks to the door "What's wrong?"

"This new location will allow you to train much longer, what will be like years will only be hours in our world. Trust us we know what we're doing!" The books in the library were all disappearing. Raven seems very confused, until she hears a loud slamming noise. "Akaige!"

Fate turns to Raven and nods "I know. You must be going our hopes all ride on your burdened shoulders."

"No! He will kill you."

"I know but that is inevitable." Fate hears the door buckling again. "Please go! There is not much time!" a portal opens and Malchior tried to drag her into it. Raven pulls free screaming "I'm going to help you fight him!"

"No Raven!" Fate glares to her but his eyes go calm. He pulls something from his belt and tosses it to Raven. She grabs the item; it was a golden pendant with a red jewel with the center of a golden raven. "My mother's…"

"I know. She asked me to hold onto it. That was the last time I was on Azarath."

"You're from Azarath?" Fate nods. The door begins to buckle more from the pounding. "It's time for you to go Raven. This is my choice, and my fate."

Raven looks to the portal, to Fate, the doors, and then to Fate she smiles saying "Thank you."

Raven disappears just as the two doors break open and to the floor tumbling down several steps leading to the main floor. The sound of a step on the first step, then several more steps chime with the descending Akaige, his arms out he says "_Lucy, you got some 'splaining to do!"_

"Calviera!" Fate's hands glow with indigo light that flashes out on his enemy. Akaige raised his claw screaming "_Palthefaos!"_ and a field of red energy rises off the claws and in front to block the blasts.

Fate now begins to levitate and chant several spells that vary in color and form, some energy and others were like a mist. Fate's powers did not seem to faze the field so he soon tries to cause the floor to crack open. "_Ra Reaim Safaka!"_

Before Fate could act, the field was dropped and from the opposite hand of Akaige a strange red and black beam rips through the dirt and dust in the air, it impacts on Fate's chest causing the mage to falter up in a peak where his body numbly, sorely, but loudly slams to the ground. On the ground Fate's armor on his chest is covered in slight crystals of ice as if the beam was cold as space. The burning of his chest was not heat but such cold. Akaige steps over slowly before flicking his finger on the armor causing it to crackle then break, showing the bare chest with freezer-burns Akaige leisurely holds his claws over the still tired Fate's chest, then digs slowly into the numb flesh. At first Fate does not notice as his body was numbed in the cold, but deep enough his eyes react in pain but his screams are held in his chest.

"_I can't help wonder why you thought you could win a fight with me."_

"I knew I could not… but I had to try."

"_Why not escape? I'm sure you could have ran."_

"This was my fate." Fate glares to the side with the twisting of the claws, "I chose to stay."

"_Ah, so where are all those books you own? They seem to be missing?"_

"I will never tell you. Torture me, I will not talk."

Akaige's claws dig a little deeper as Fate still could not fight back "_Oh I'm not torturing you, well not for the information. The only question I expect you to answer now is how long your body can withstand this pain before…"_ The claws dig deeper, "_You…"_ Fate's eyes widen in more horrific pain, "_DIE!"

* * *

_

Raven and Malchior stood in this realm of multitudes, colors swirl and whirl unlike any she knew before "Where are we?"

"This is a point in space and time that shifts in an awkward motion to all the rest of our reality." Raven is confused, "Well, one hour here is a millionth of a second in your time. Your body is still in your reality and time; we are trapped in the space between. When we leave here, our bodies will reemerge into the library and from there you will have all the power we can offer." Malchior murmurs "If that will be enough I'm not sure."

"Malchior." Malchior turns to Raven; her eyes slightly worried "You know this Akaige tell me what you think of him."

* * *

Magneto told his daughter to get her boyfriend out of this building. After she screamed he was not her boyfriend, she grabbed Toad and dragged him out to the doorway. "Hey, dad!" 

Magneto turned to see her confused smile, "Thank… you."

Magneto was also confused, but his smile and something of pride in how he helped her made him nod. Then the large club arm swings Magneto through a wall. Magneto pushes up and his body jolts with power, crushing up some metals into spears his fields launch the ore into the large crystalline armor, "Just go! I have this Wanda!"

As Holocaust was being bombarded Wanda runs off with Toad. Holocaust flings his club smashing the spears and now harbors his rage on Magneto. "Okay, show me what you've got!"

Magneto raised his hands showing how metal was forming over them like gauntlets, "That was my plan."

Magneto and Holocaust charge each other meeting to the middle of the burning wreck. Their two great strengths bounced off each other's midsections and upper bodies making them bob and weave from each strike. Magneto is knocked on one knee when he looks up with rage, "No more!" His hands flare up and a bus slams through to slam Holocaust into another wall. Magneto smirks as the bus stops crunching and crackling. Magneto turns flipping his cape, then he hears the creaking of metal. He turns to see the bus's windows begin to shatter and a large flame pops through the bus row through row. Magneto raises a field to block the inferno that broke out through the bus leaving the two sides of the bus and the melted floor. Fire and ash rose around the burning bus contrasting the large figure slowly strolling from the front of the bus to the back. They leapt off the bus high to the air and then down in front of Magneto with the club arm to the ground. Standing in a cocky grin slowly was Holocaust; he raises his arms and shrugs the broad shoulders, "Where is all this power you boast about Magneto?"

Magneto floats into the air and calls up several metal manholes. They begin spinning like mad and Magneto tosses these discs on the fiery behemoth. Holocaust grinned a little as he smacks the most of them away, but some get past and with their rotating speeds and forced throw Holocaust topples with each buckling hit. Holocaust falls to one knee glaring to the ground, "Filthy gene-traitors! We mutants are superior Magnus!"

Holocaust screams as his club arm struck fist first to the ground. The vents over the fist end fire up like thrusters launching Holocaust to the air. His large form flips in the air to allow his wide back to slam over Magneto carrying the leader mutant with his hellish force. Flipping a little at his side Holocaust wraps his arm over Magneto's neck for a headlock. After that he turns up his club to the air to fire him and Magneto to the ground again. The force of the two makes the pavement shatter all around, and as the rubble rustles around their forms and Magneto gags up his own blood from several ribs cracking Holocaust speaks, "My father wished for a world where only the strong would survive." Holocaust lets go of the traumatized Magneto letting some little bits of rock and asphalt fall off his shoulders to the bleeding side of Magneto. Holocaust screams as he raises the club up again "I hereby proclaim YOU are not FIT!"

Holocaust has a small, slender form grab his one raised arm. The next thing a bare hand on his shoulder, "What the…" His eyes widen ten times as he screams grabbing at his face. The girl Rogue leaps off and runs to Magneto "Magneto, this is weird but I need you! Wolverine said he's got some problems and…" Rogue is flung back into a wall where the brick collapses on her. Holocaust looks to Rogue and smirks a little "Filthy little…" He turns back to the crater and frowns "Not good."

The underground plumbing was ripped up from Magneto's power, and the two ends had been crushed holding the water's force. A smirk, Magneto opens his two hands letting to two streams flush Holocaust into the air. Holocaust is flung up and back down in an arc where he is being pushed up onto a wall. Magneto stands up then levitates; faltering a little in the air he rises up again and channels his powers again. This time he charges a single small orb of blue electro energy that he then tosses into Holocaust making the orb glow inside the center of the beast. The waters are shut off and Holocaust glares with the steam of his heat to the cooler waters "You gave up finally?"

Holocaust has a large slab of the bus slam to his one arm, "What?" He glares now as many more of these metal ores flap and slap onto his body all over. The orb was a massive magnetic field that poured into the mainstream of the energy life which was Holocaust. Soon, Holocaust points out his one arm as he steps slowly towards Magneto. The arm stops inches from Magneto as does Holocaust before the weight of the metals weigh it and Holocaust's legs down so that he collapses on his knees. Holocaust's face was not covered, and in a snarl he screams "I will consume you mutant!"

Magneto smirks as he flashes his arm and the gauntlets wrap onto Holocaust's face "In a couple hours maybe, but right now enjoy the much deserved time out."

Magneto notices the rubble being pushed away, he raises a brow as Rogue stood and held herself with one rubble piece "That was one ornery varmint."

"Indeed. You have a great bit of strength Rogue."

"Part because of that demon feller from earlier. His strength is starting to ware off though so I'd best try not to be tossed around like this anymore."

Magneto nods "You seemed to need me, why again?"

"Well Xavier sent a message to Wolverine about how he seems to be worried. He has a bad feeling that all these villains were a diversion. I still don't know what is happening but now Wolverine want to see you.

"Very well perhaps it is best I meet with Wolverine as well."

* * *

Akaige slowly lets his claws retract, "_Ah… took long enough!"_ his view spans to the empty shelves "_What was it you were planning? Taking all these books and years of records?"_ Akaige turns to open a portal "_Whatever it is it should be quite entertaining."

* * *

_

Wolverine slashes through some of the drones "These things just keep coming!" next the steel boot of Slade kicks a drone inches behind Wolverine. Wolverine looks back and glares, "Wilson?"

Slade turns to Wolverine and nods, "It has been a very long time Logan."

"Yeah tell me you still a psychotic freak who takes a sick pride in fighting people?"

"Gee… aren't you?"

Magneto lands with Rogue running up to them "I found him Wolverine."

"Great job kid. Magneto things are really bugging Charles about this fight."

"Rogue explained to me the matter of this fight. Charles feels that this was a diversion?"

Wolverine nods and turns to slash a droid. Magneto launches the metal men while asking "Can we please get on with this!"

"Oh, right! Well Charles keeps having a really bad feeling. He thinks this incident was a diversion. All these villains and monsters have such regenerative powers or high endurance that maybe they were meant only to keep our eyes on Jump City and not somewhere else." Magneto nods then thinks back to it all. Holocaust alone seems too endurable to keep down, and Nimrod was regenerating at a fast enough a level that beating him was nearly impossible. Brother Blood with his robotic enhancements, Sinister's immortal regenerative state, and Darkseid's powerful stone form all seem too specific to be coincidence. These many monsters did have the greatest in regeneration and endurance "You may be right Wolverine but how did our enemy know we would be here?"

"Maybe the dream? I mean, J'onn had this dream where he and Raven met their boss Akaige. So maybe that dream was the way to make sure we were all here. The question is why?"

Magneto now thinks about it, "Why did J'onn even tell you?"

"He and Xavier are friends. J'onn was scared for Superman because he has this major worry that Akaige was planning on killing Superman."

Magneto thinks to himself but soon it strikes, "Is it even possible?" Magneto floats into the air asking "Where is Blink?"

"I don't know sugah; you want us to find her?"

"Yes! It is of the utmost essence!" Magneto glares angrily as he flew off "It is a matter of life and death!"

* * *

Beast, the blue mutant teacher at the X-mansion mixes several chemicals "Remarkable! I am astounded by this mixture… though it seems quite…" the vials blow up and suite covers Beast's face "…Volatile…" 

The black boy with golden hair steps in, his one arm wrapped in bandages "Beast I needed to talk to you."

"Ah, young Spyke what is it you need?"

Spyke looks to his arm, "You know how it feels to be seen as a mutant all the time. To have your powers at a constant." He sort of shifts as Beast nods to the arm "How do you… live with it?"

"I live with it for life is living with such trials. I remember a Chinese proverb that takes me to such a question. 'A fine diamond is never made perfect without friction, as are not men not made grand without the trials of their lives.'" Beast looks up to the ceiling, "Well, it was something of the sort. I seem to have trouble recalling what exactly it is that proverb said."

Beast jump up and hangs upside down. "Besides, it is not how I am perceived that make me who I am it is my own opinions based upon my own actions. When we live to the approval of others _we_ never live at all." Before Beast could send another word of wisdom, Spyke puts up his arms saying "Okay! Okay! I get it…" He smirks "Thanks man."

"No problem… homes." Beast chuckles a little as Spyke rolled his eyes. Then the facilities power turned off, Beast drops down and glares "This is not a good thing. Let's see the professor…"

The facility now begins to secure itself with thick plating and bars. "This is an extremely bad situation! The facilities alarms and countermeasure's seem to be entering defensive status."

* * *

Charles Xavier was in the secret part of the mansion, the belly of Cerebra. He didn't seem too worried at first but then he had that feeling you get when you're alone in the dark too long. You feel watched, sometimes as if being stalked by the unknown around you. His mind begins to probe the room for other consciousness, but he finds none willing to be found. "Beast? Spyke? Anyone of you out there?" his probing reaches to the others in the house but he can not link to them. Obviously, someone was here and they were blocking his mind. "I never enjoy being alone in this mansion." 

"_Don't worry Charles."_ The hands wrap on Charles's shoulders, "_You are not alone."_

Xavier sits up straight "You're the Kagejin? Or rather their master?"

"_Someone deserves a cookie."_ Akaige swooshes to the front of Xavier "_Yes I am their master. As are you the master of the X-men. It is a pleasure, and a great nuisance to meet you all at the same time."_

"Indeed. I would have to say the same for you."

"_Oh my, that was a nice little insult Xavier. Who knew you had it in you?"_

"So you came to kill me didn't you?"

"…_?" _Akaige's one brow rises, "_How did you know?"_

"I wasn't able to realize it too soon. It only came to me recently." Akaige pulls up a chair and sits on it backwards "That dream made both Raven and J'onn very scared. J'onn called me, like you wanted him to. His pleas caused my X-men to leave for Jump City where they fought those monsters of yours. I noticed each one was more around a damage taker than a dealer, granted they can dish it out but they are better at taking hits than giving them sometimes. Recently I was wondering why, J'onn says you wish to kill Superman. I believe you do, but you also wish to limit some other nuisances. The Cerebra I though may have been your target but it can be rebuilt. Then the idea you wanted to kill me and Magnus was thought out since you knew Magnus helped to build Cerebra originally. I soon realized as you were coming here, your goal was to kill me. It not only will leave the Cerebra useless or at least not to as great a potential as with me, but it also will deal a great amount of harm to the X-men."

Akaige sat a little impressed "_I can see where this team of mutants gets their magnificent tactic. You have an interesting mind Xavier. I am starting to feel upset that I must kill you."_

"Before you kill me there is something I want you to know." Xavier smiles a little wickedly for him "My will shall never die. My students the X-men have been raised with my dreams. They will sacrifice themselves if they must, I know in time they will be willing to do so. If to ensure the survival and victory of all humanity they will challenge your wicked ways till the end of time."

Akaige stood up and released his sword. His hood withdraws from his face allowing Xavier to see the face of his executioner. Xavier was in awe as he saw the facial expression of honest respect "_This is the first time Xavier I can honestly say. It is an honor to kill a man with such a warrior's will."

* * *

_

Rogue drags Blink with her, "Come on! We need your help!"

"Let me go! I have to fight!" Sabretooth now leaps down with claws bare, "Let her go girl!"

"Shut it Sabretooth! Magneto and Wolverine want Blink!"

"Why would the X-men and Brotherhood be teaming up all of a sudden?"

"Calm yourself Sabretooth!" Magneto lands with Wolverine and Slade. "This is a matter important to both our sides."

"Magneto… I was just…"

"As touching this may be." Slade turns to his "friends" each in turn "I'm not really in the mood to take forever can we get this done and over with?"

Magneto nods, "Blink! Take us to the X-mansion!"

Blink nods and opens up a portal. The second Magneto enters he is in the mansion's Cerebra chamber. His view is on the hover chair, a trail of blood… and the man lying out of his toppled chair. "Xavier!" Magneto grabs Xavier and holds him with great sadness "My friend! Speak to me!"

The shadows hide the form of Akaige reattaching his hood. His eyes glow, and he hears the telepathy of Xavier. '_Magnus… my friend.'_ He coughs a little but his mind sends out more thought, '_This day is something I feared… The X-men have no leader, but I know they need one still. The students will need someone capable of leading them in an age… of war.'_

"Charles what are you talking about?" The other heroes have arrived and Wolverine drops to his knees next to Charles. '_Logan. I know you to be my most loyal and noblest friend. You have shown a marvelous skill as my second in command. I ask in my absence, you show such respect to Magnus.'_

Akaige is caught with some surprise; Wolverine also asks "What do you mean to him? You want him to be the… leader?"

"I do not hold to the same faith and dreams as your students Xavier. Besides, they would never listen to me. I have been their sworn enemy for all too long."

'_I know Magnus. However, Logan will help to smooth out the transition. As for my dreams and faith, that is theirs to hold not yours. I only expect you to assist them until you find a replacement. I know Scott could not handle this duty, and Logan will be needed in battle too greatly, you too will need to fight but your mind is of battle. You know tactic, skills of warfare you have mastered in full. What I ask is only your leadership.'_

"Charles… I am…"

Charles's hand reaches out to Magneto's shoulder, a shock to the now weeping Magnus he hears words he heard much as they were young men learning and studying in college, "I believe in you… Magnus… Please, try… to believe in… me…"

Magneto grabs the hand, and his eyes water as his grip tightens on the loose hand "My dearest friend Charles. I will do this for you. In your memory I will lead the X-men."

Rogue gasps as Blink rubs her head uneasily. Sabretooth sort of twitches a little, thinking he heard wrong. Slade looks with no emotion as Magneto now cradled Xavier with his eyes streaming. It was obvious even if they had been fighting each other; they still had a respect too far beyond each of their private goals. Magneto may have made a vow, but in time Slade wonders will Magneto not want to rekindle his own war for mutant supremacy? Why would Xavier want to allow the future of his team with a man like Magneto? He was smarter than most, perhaps he knew or had a feeling that it would work out in the end.

Akaige was in the shadows, his eyes slink in pleasure. "_The will of Xavier can not die. Truly, a man deserving my respect fell by my blade."_ He disappears not being found out by his enemies, for now.

* * *

She studied long and hard, it was by all she knew days had passed. She didn't feel tired, or hungry, but she did feel a little annoyed. More and more the information was given to her. Malchior would not answer one thing, though she asks it again and again, "Malchior! What is it you know about…?" 

"Akaige?" Malchior snaps throwing a book to the floor "You want to know what he is? Where he is spawned from? You want to learn the full extent of his powers? Is that all you wish to learn?" Raven blinks, "Um… yes."

Malchior huffs and wheezes a little before taking a calmer stance "Well… I will tell you HOWEVER you must keep to your training afterwards!"

"Yes Malchior thank you!" She levitates Indian style and looks to him widely eyed "What can you tell me?"

Malchior raises the pages from his book to make a sort of paper stool. He sits with his arms crossed and one leg over the other. Looking up he ponders on the question he looks to Raven and says "Akaige has to be the most worrisome demon I've ever known of. He has a great evil but also there is more to him. Malebolgia, myself, and Trigon are the purest of evils. We do all we can to rule and become more powerful. You know that all too well don't you my dear Raven?"

Raven glares on this teacher of hers, "Get on with it."

"Ah," He chuckles "Well you see my dear demons normally have one only goal to rise in power. Akaige's feelings and claims are not on the power one may gain, but the strength one may raise. Where me, my uncle and your father would hunger for power Akaige has come to a thinking all his own. He is like a balancing equation, he destroys all that there is to leave only shadow. When you get down to it, Akaige is not only evil and good but something worse. He is an old way of evil, destroying both sides to leave only what he wishes." Malchior glares to the downward stare of Raven "So, in conclusion Akaige is a very dangerous being who only thrives in chaos. The greater an obstacle to his plans the more diabolical his countering strike. His skills only grow in battle and he battles to become stronger, not more powerful but only stronger than what he once was. It is part of his warrior nature, a dangerous nature for a demon lord. His skills are legend, and magic the spells of dimensions he personally destroyed with his brethren and hidden in his private library with records more detailed and hundreds times greater than that of Fate himself. When you get down to it Akaige is the most destructive, diabolical, and notorious demon ever." Malchior is snide as he asks "Do you feel better now?"

"Yes." Raven's eyes show determination "Because I now am ready to do all it takes to stop him once and for all."

* * *

Superman looks at the body. He then thinks to Jump City "There is where I'll find him." He glares with fierce energy in his eyes "That's where I'll get my revenge and kill anyone who gets in my way." 

Superman leaves not knowing the shadows laughed, and clench their claw on their face with such joy. The fool was falling into the exact trap he set, like all the others do when a trap is set from such a master of shadow.


	6. When Angels Deserve To Die

The Age of Akaige

By Pakkrat

Chapter 6: When Angels Deserve to Die

Disclaimer: All work herein is dedicated to their respective creators and corporations. Their use is merely for entertainment. Those things I do take credit for are Kagejin, and Akaige. That is all; thank you and please do enjoy the big chapter today! Bahamut, Leviathan, and Tiamat are actually attributed to Psychic Werewolf Assassin and his work in Hunter: The Beginning. I merely thought the Elementalism views interesting to be used in my own work.

Music: Chop Suey by System of a Down. A good piece, and fits well to our chapter. I like to try and enhance some effect with music, it is merely optional.

Within the room of white pillars demons and angels were known to mingle. However, when time came this room would also act as a place of conversation. Right now two beings speak to each other as their darker sister was away. The one is surrounded by a white aura, with a slight tint of gray. This being was a large dragon with blackened scales and red marks with a muscular reptilian design. With him was a large serpent with aqua green like flesh and coiled only his pink arms clasp up from time to time. The dragon was a holy master called Bahamut, and the serpent the neutral being of existence, Leviathan. Leviathan has a gray aura with only minor lighter and darker flares around his form.

The two talk until a white robbed figure with a hood floats in and lands to them. "Yes, what would you ask of me?"

Bahamut turns and grins "Rorek I am pleased to see you again."

The magician removes his hood showing the white hair and pale complexion, icy blue eyes peer up with feline features while a gray scarf wraps his lower jaw. "If ever my lord Bahamut calls me I will come. It is my wish to serve you."

Leviathan chuckles as the next figure is dragged in and dropped by a pink miniature creature with little paws and wings. It flies off squeaking as the man in a long red leather jacket stands and takes aim with two pistols "Come back here you little…" The man turns to the three others and his white hair shifts while he turns, it was shorter than Rorek's and seems to part so one eye would show through. His eyes at the moment were red, but in a flash they turned blue. He wore black under the red jacket, a loose belt of ammo and one large sword over his shoulders at a diagonal hoist over his back. Shifting onto his one side the figure asks "Who the hell are you?"

"Not really hell, a bit more to the higher planes than that." Bahamut chuckles to Rorek's statement. Leviathan shakes his head "Never mind them Dante, the dead often have a sad sense of humor… and my brother well…"

"Leviathan! How could you say that about your own brother?"

"How could I not?"

"Leviathan?" Dante, the demon hunter of another world was shocked "You mean this guy is the dragon god of neutrality? That means if you're his brother you're the dragon god of good, Bahamut!"

Bahamut laughs asking "What took him so long?"

"Oh stop picking on Dante after all I'm the one that summoned for him."

"Summoned? That pink thing broke my bar up and dragged me through some portal! What kind of summoning was that?"

"The quick kind." Leviathan uncoils to show his length as he stood tall "Dante, Rorek you both have been summoned for a duty. A demon has come to our attention. He threatens to destroy a world that can not be allowed. You two are to be sent to the Wolves Enclave of this world to meet with my loyalist of followers. There, you will access the necessary means to stop this demon. All else is simply a matter of your own digression."

Rorek asks "What about Tiamat? When she learns you sent two outsiders to stop this demon she will most likely find champions of her own."

Dante kicks the back of his leg to knock some mud off, "Let's hope that multi-headed bitch keeps her nose out of things. As for me, I'm not sure I want anything to do with this."

"Are you absurd? Lords Leviathan and Bahamut asked you!"

"Yeah… to fight a demon on some other world to take a chance of getting my own ass handed back to me while probably chancing my last try to stop the demons and heretics on my world." Dante reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a coin, "Here, I'll flip this coin. Heads, I take your proposal and fight the forces of darkness there, Tails; I stay home and enjoy myself safe and sound." Dante flips the coin making Rorek stammer back in shock. The coin lands in Dante's hand and Dante looks down, smirks, and says "Looks like it's my lucky day." Rorek seems to slink until Dante turns gripping his sword "Heads, we better get going."

"What? I thought you wanted to not fight."

"Hey, it was a fair toss so now I have to go. Fate, who knows what, can happen right?"

Leviathan nods, "Indeed, there are always two sides to every coin…" Dante looks back with a smirk under his bangs "Yep, there certainly is." The pink creature floats in and grabs Dante, "Hey! I said I wanted to go!" The creature tares him off as he screams. Rorek nods to Bahamut and Leviathan "I will do you both proud. This evil will not know what he has come into. Until the time I have returned wish me your blessing." Rorek turns with a flutter of his cape.

Leviathan now thinks aloud "What will Tiamat do when she realizes we sent our own champions."

"Please, she will either wish to send her own, or perhaps leave it be. She does not know what Akaige is capable of and has no interest as she still would find him as another demon as usual. Without the knowledge you and I have the field is still even."  
"Indeed." Leviathan turns to his brother with a serious look of concern, "However, when she learns what blood courses in Akaige's she may take more interest than previously."

"By then The Arbiter will be ready for the training needed to overpower any threat."

Dante was walking as Rorek caught up. He explained for Dante and the creature left no problem. "I can not believe you left all in the toss of a coin."

"What? You mean the flip of a coin deciding the fate of an entire world? Hey, its fate and what happens, happens."

"Still it is an honor to assist those in need, and face the darkness others dare not view." Dante flips back glaring into Rorek's face, "You're a little uptight."

"What?" Rorek blinks and Dante walks off, "I beg your pardon!"

"Hey I call them as I see them. Anyway, we're working together huh? You just stick near me and I'll keep you safe!"

"I don't need your protection! I am one of the most powerful mages of many worlds. For eons I have served as Bahamut's loyal mage and never have I failed my missions. This will be no different!"

"Whatever pal." The two enter into a room with red emblems on the walls, four pillars with wolf heads on them pointing to the center. Dante raises a brow asking "What the hell is that?"

"That is a transporter for the Wolf council, and it is used to transfer beings from this council-house to any temple where the Werewolf Enclaves are."

"Oh, werewolves? You mean we're joining up with werewolves?"

"Not the kind you are thinking about Dante. These werewolves are the divine breed that fought in early wars. They are not the mixed blood of wolf and hell-hound like you find in hell. Those were a means to challenge the wolves in a great hellish manner."

"Oh… kay." Dante shrugs it does not seem so special to him. Rorek steps onto the central portion asking "Will you be staying or leaving?"

Dante steps on too and takes a breath as the four stone heads seem to howl. The room now changes, instead of fine marble they are surrounded by blue stone. The stone is as if dug out or maybe carved. Rorek steps out and now they were in halls that lead into many point and places, they make past all the halls towards the doors outside. Dante kind of blinked as they were not outside but they were rather inside a large stone formation. There was a park or something that stretched a nice ways out from the eye's view where Dante noticed many people laughing and playing, kids even. Dante asks "What is this all about?"

"The Enclave is positioned outside on the surface, but sometimes they have some passages leading to these underground facilities allowing the people a chance to enjoy themselves as their other selves."

"Other selves?" Dante notices a nice set of legs walk past so he smirks trailing up. That was when he noticed something around a large tail, bushy tail, wagging with the feminine walk. Dante jolts his head up to see the woman shaped werewolf; she turns and winks to him as she continues on, "Oh just great now I'm scarred for life!"

"Come now she was attractive to a degree. The outside world does not understand the Werewolves; they are not a diseased race or evil race more a form of life. The transformation is at will and most come to be very normal. Others can be vicious, but no more than some humans. Werewolves also show more character as they have long lines of tradition and honor still practiced by the many wolf clans over the world."

"Yeah sure," Dante snarls to him "I'm still going to have trouble not thinking about that wolf chic next time I hit on someone."

Rorek chuckled to himself looking to the building they enter. Inside many more wolves as people walked around. They were many shapes and sizes, some masculine others feminine. Either way, Dante kept trying not to think about this place. The elevator had several negative floors, and the positive ones lead to the upper world. Taking the highest floor Rorek steps out and nods to the receptionist that nods back. "Can I help you?"

"We want to see Whitepelt. Is he here today?"

"Yes he is; go right on in."

The two enter and meet with a large muscular shape in a chair. The shape now shows white fur over their entire body, and silver armor with red decals along the surfaces. The side mane was fitted with beads that had many colors, and one large scar along his left eye made little difference to the menacing Werewolf. Even when he smiled baring his fangs Rorek and Dante looked a little less enthusiastic of being there. "Ah, you're the two lords Bahamut and Leviathan sent. I'm pleased to meet you. Excuse my form, I find it is easier to stay in my wolf state than to turn human and wolf off and on. I am getting on in years, after all."

"Yes, we are here to try and help in the battle."

"Good. So what do you have for me?" Rorek offers a scroll and Dante asks as Whitepelt reads it "Why didn't I get to carry?"

"Would you try reading it?"

"No…" Dante smirks "Well, actually yes."

Whitepelt closes the scroll and lays his chin on his hands "This is very troubling news. The demon that has claimed our realm is one called Akaige."

Dante shrugs "I heard about him a little bit. I never figured any reason to worry over somebody I never met."

"Well Mr.'s Rorek and Dante hopefully we can do something. Try to find out what you can on this demon I'll do some research in the Enclave itself. Be careful he is rumored to be quite powerful and terribly skilled."

They nod and begin leaving; Dante asks "Hey, that receptionist out here is she a werewolf?"

"Why… yes."

"Damn it!"

* * *

When Raven finished the spell she seems to tumble over on her one leg and pant. Her body sweats unlike any normal kind of sweating, of course she has been training for the time oh, 2 years. Malchior looks at her and sighs, "You need to rest Raven."

"No, there's no time to rest!"

"Oh yes there is Raven. Don't forget you have a spell Fate taught you, one that can alter time itself. That is what you need to remember time is not of the essence, it is only a part of the equation."

Raven looks up and takes a deep breath before getting up again, "I'm going to use it here. That will lengthen the time won't it?"

"Yes, but if you use it don't expect to use it again. It is a once in a time thing."

"Good reasoning." Malchior steps back saying "Do it."

Raven closes her eyes and lets her arms hang at her sides. The power she first channels through her own body to begin, a spark of it shades over her form at times and makes her cape move alone. The next step, opening her eyes they glow and she moves her arms through the air screaming "Hal tien shael frezan muerto clia pienth!"

Her hands now swing down; slapping the ground a shockwave strikes and covers her and Malchior for some distance with the spell. She looks up seeing that inside their bubble the colors seem to be the same, but outside the bubble the colors of this realm moved so very slowly it was like a crawl. "I…" Raven's eyes become heavy and she drops back being grabbed by Malchior. She has fainted, Malchior nods letting her lay and taking off her hood he makes a pillow. Standing up he looks at her sleeping, and chuckles "I'm starting to remember why I fell for you the first time Raven."

* * *

She never did understand why she stayed with that jerk. Her boyfriend, 16 year old jerk of a man who drove her around town and all, but still a jerk. She was just as old, 16, and even if only that she could have any man she wanted. She had blonde hair laid straight, a red leather top that was over her chest, no sleeves and up over her navel, short red mini-skirt and long boots, then the gloves were long gloves with no fingers and if you have not noticed, she was a bit fanciful in her style. Today she wore this because her boyfriend promised a nice meal at some place; she figured a reward was in order. However, he started getting grabby, and her arguing got her kicked out of his car and on the streets of New York. That ass, he even left her in the worst place of this hell! Her house was a while from here so she wanted to get a tram or subway car to the upper section of town. She has to go through some back alleys to get there though, and sometimes these things were like a maze bending back and forth with the buildings so close. She tightly clung to her purse on her chest.

She now hears some movement behind her, an uneasy turn and she sees two men, a slinky one who was bald and had his weird smile the kind she got from that guy teacher for Gym. Then, the second one was huge, muscular with many scars and an open jacket. They were slowly moving down the alley, so she hastened her walk. She hears them speed up, and her heart begins pounding. 'Oh god, what do I do?' She panics, runs while screaming "Help me!"

The two men rush her, the large man was faster and soon has her, grabbing her from behind he holds the smaller girl in the air with her legs kicking, her mind buzzing in fear she lashes out with all she can. The bald man growled "Shut it." He then flips out a blade, she sees then becomes quite, except some crying under her sniffling and tears. "Ah, much better. My associate and I are nice fellows actually. I mean, we're clean and all. It is better to be raped by us than some filthy gutter rats."

"Raped! I'm only 16! That's not just wrong, it's gross!"

"Hey! Sinners can't be choosers!" The large man frowns, "Actually, Beggars can't be choosers, and Sinners can't be saints."

"…." The bald man snaps "I thought I was the brains here!"

"I was just…"

"Oh, well what he said."

"Please don't." Her voice trembles and the tall man with no hair smirks "I love when they beg. It just adds to it all, you know?"

"Please…" her eyes are blurred as the bald man grabs her purse looking at it he snickers "Hello kitty…" He motions his knife to her skirt, grabbing at the material he traces over the center whispering "Hello… Kitty…"

"NO! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

The Bald man now stops at the sound of something liquid, he raises his hand and the knife is covered in a ball of webbing. "Shit! Spiderman!" The two men look up seeing Spiderman on a wall, the large man screams "Run!" So both run different directions, the tall man is chased by Spiderman as the large man ran with the girl. She looks in horror as Spiderman left her, "Please…"

The large man speeds to a halt, he shakes as a wall of webbing was in front of him, then another behind him. "Damn! He has me stuck!" The man tosses the girl down and pulls a knife to her throat "I'll kill her! I swear I'll kill her if you don't let me out right now!"

The man looks around not noticing the large black form slowly rolling down behind him. Then the thud, the man turns and in his face were fangs and a tongue swishing and bearing on him. "Holy shit!" The man pulls the girl back with him from the fear of the giant muscular beast before him. "WH-what are you!"

"We are Venom." The monster speaks, Venom leers his white eyes on the man and girl "We demand you let the girl go, unharmed of course."

The man pulls the girl close snapping "Let me go or I'll kill this bitch!"

"Kill her, and you will be in this cage with only me." Venom's eyes glare more as the man looks around "Would you prefer my wrath in such restrained surroundings?"

The man snarls dropping the girl "Fine! Take me to jail already!"

Venom grins cruelly as his skin stretches the black tendrils, "We never mentioned jail!" The tendrils latch out and cover the man's arms and legs, he screams as the girl watches the man being suspended into the air. The man screams "You can't!"

Venom snarls his fangs dripping the saliva of his mouth, "Why can't we?" The man squirms in the grasp of the black crude mess all over his body now. "We know what it is to be a predator. To feed off of the fear, the weak breeds of life. We are all too familiar with what it is to be one of your kind. However, we have also spent an existence in nothingness, finding we have a new mission. Our new leave on life is a leave to justice, and we intend to deliver justice a way fitting to all who prey on the weak." Venom's tendrils begin to roll into the nose of the man and his eyes roll back into his head. His body arches and shakes, feet kicking with the twists of the tendrils as they went deep into his chest, and as they plucked out the man slants to the side motionless. Venom drops the man and speaks as if proud, "It is done. His lugs and heart have ceased, as does his brain crumble from lack of oxygen." Venom now turns to the girl in the corner cringing in fear as he eyes are placidly on the man dead and almost looking at her with dead eyes. Venom steps over to her, she merely shakes in this vegetative state. Venom glares angrily but his fingers point up and tendrils lurch to her ear. They enter her and like the man she acts, but instead she whimpers and falls back into the one other arm Venom grabs her with. He helps her up on her feet, kicks the man over on his stomach, and after a moment the tendrils leave and Venom's skin molds off showing a man in all black clothing, black trench coat and jeans with same kind of sweater and boots.

The girl is confused at first as she looks around, her mind skims to the fact she was coming down this alley… and… "Wait, two men jumped me!"

"I chased them off." She turns up to the tall muscular man with thick silver hair. His face was well shaped and though marked in some scars he seems not so mean or cruel with his smile. "Actually, I knocked this one out, the other I don't know what happened to him. You better get out of here Candice."

"Candice?" She blinks, "How do you know my name?"

"I saved your life. You told me before you had a sudden faint."

"Oh…" She nods and runs along to stop and turn back seeing the man and Venom were gone?" What was…?" She screams "Oh no my purse!" The purse now drops onto her head and then the ground. She looks at it then the sky. Her eyes are wide, "That hair, the face, scars, he was my… Guardian angel!" She grabs her purse and runs giggling about such a thing.

"We are nothing close to an angel." Venom looks to the man's body, "Or perhaps we are an angel of vengeance. All else, we do not fit the qualities of angels."

"Your hair…" Spiderman sees the difference in Eddy since they last met "What happened?"

"We were in a place where no life is meant to be. An existence that was not formed to be inhabited was our prison for some time. The effects of the realm caused our hair to be discolored, and I believe the symbiotic half has also gone through changes."

Spiderman now notices the man, "No! Venom what have you done!" He readies to attack Venom but Venom's skin raises up. Spiderman looks around as the skin changed and Spiderman could not see Venom. "We did what needed to be done. We stopped this one from harming others in the future. We may need to work together but we will never be the same. We will meet you again soon Spiderman, until then we wish to see things for ourselves!"

Spiderman screams for Venom as the larger beast left. His mind now wonders how the Beyonder and Webb were expecting those two to join together when they have such different views.

* * *

Beast Boy jumps back as a green kangaroo then he turns to a gorilla and smashes several drones into one. Beast Boy turns to his human state and hears something, ears flicking he looks to the plan landing "Doom Patrol?" His grin is wide and proud as the port opens to show four people walking out, "You're here! I'm so glad to see…"

Mento rises up his hand and Beast Boy stops to loose his happy mood for a serious one, "Sir."

"I'm glad to see you're doing… okay for yourself." The titan Beast Boy gives no change in his face but his one fist tightened "Yes sir."

"We came because something has happened. The Brotherhood of Evil was destroyed, and we believe a Mr. Brother Blood did it."

"Blood? If he did then maybe it's because of Akaige."

"What?" To that Beast Boy explains everything from where he knew it. Afterwards Robot Man just scratches his head "Wow kid you're doing some pretty hard stuff."

"Yeah!" Negative Man wraps an arm around Beast Boy "I always knew he had it in him! Didn't I always say he did?"

Beast Boy chuckles as Elastigirl hugs him "You're a great kid B.B. we knew you'd turn out fine."

"You're all babying him." Beast Boy is knocked to reality again "He has nothing more going on than we ever did. Let him go and let's see what we can do to stop this."

"Oh, but you've helped so much already."

The female voice of a somewhat Russian seduction came through as a figure strolls out from the plane. The heroes see a woman in a red dress; it has a skirt end and no sleeves. A pair of long black gloves and boots, matching her black short hair. Her face was sensuous in a way with chilling eyes and a mark on her cheek. Soon Beast Boy growls out her name "Madame Rouge."

"Ah darlings, just call me Madame. It has been a while since I saw my cute little green boy." She winks at him which Beast Boy glares more angrily "Come now, you're not that angry at the fact I tried to kill you."

"She's dead I thought."

Negative Man shakes his head "It's true, you can't keep a good slut down for less than 20 bucks."

"Such a harsh set of words from an Egyptian wannabe." Madame whips her neck and hair, moving strands on her face she smiles through them "I guess you don't understand how much we wanted you here today Doom Patrol."

Mento asks in barred teeth "What are you talking about?"

"The Brotherhood of Evil may have been destroyed, but I am still quite employed. A matter of fact my new employer is much more appreciative of my skill than that brain in that fishbowl." She giggles in a wicked fashion to herself "I have been very patient with you. After you arrived, many hours after the coo I left on your ship."

Elastigirl shakes her head saying "The ship detects unusual weight displacement! It never would have allowed you onboard!"

"Ah! However, before you took off I waited in the trees, and then I leapt on as a glider of sorts with my arm on the plane. I displaced my own weight in the air so you never noticed me. When you landed I merely snuck into the ship to send out a message and now here we are!"

"Wait… what message?"

Madame gives a slight twinkle in her eye, "The message that the Doom Patrol were here in Jump City, and that it was time for phase two of the plan."

* * *

The heroes fended off all the drones destroying them with great skill and power. The last of the drones huddled to guard Sinister, Blood, Nimrod, and Darkseid. Their wrists seemed to glow and Darkseid smiles "About time she got them here. Next time you kill someone Blood leave a note saying that the heroes who found it all need to come immediately!"

Blood frowns asking "How more obvious could it have been? Besides they did get here didn't they? Are you going to call them or what?"

Darkseid rolls his eyes before flipping a switch on his belt. The switch blinks and as the last of the drones were being destroyed a ship sinks from the sky as it was hiding in cloud cover. The heroes look up and give mixed reactions to the hangar opening and allowing many more drones like before flying out and towards the heroes. As this happened Red X who sat up on some stones asked "Why do I come to this stupid city? Every time something bad happens!"

Robin tosses a set of his exploding disks before screaming "If you're so scared then leave!"

Red X narrows his eyes, and in the same fashion he begins tossing his own disks "You first kid!"

Green Lantern flares his ring "This is mad J'onn! I'm calling the league in right now!"

"No! If you do Superman will come here!"

"That's the point J'onn!" Lantern pushes a button on his belt sending a message over all the members of the Justice League. Many members came from the sky flying or with ships, headed from the Watch Tower manned in outer space. When the sight of the robots attacking the city came to these many heroes, they soon unleashed their full wrath. From the sky flying heroes would match with aerial drones. When the others not gifted with flight landed on the ground they unleashed what powers they did have. From strength, speed, or maybe energy these many attacks would follow unconditionally for the rest of this fight. Many more drones seemed to flood from the ship with the many more heroes.

Robin leaps back and tangles with a drone pushing it off with his staff, but another fires behind him leaving his back open. Robin was saved from a set of arrows that struck the blasts and then the drone, he notices a familiar boy in red with a black mask and flat orange like hair "Speedy?"

"Yep, the others are here too! This sure seems…" Speedy turns to swing an arrow like a knife through a drones face "Quite the event you guys have here!"

"How did you know to come?"

A small bee girl flutters in on Robin's shoulder, "Oh, giant ship in the sky letting robots go crazy, then the whole fact the news keeps showing a war on Jump City. Nothing much else to do but either help or leave you guys."

Robin sighs as he sees a boy in blue and black with nearly perfect hair smashing drones with water, two other little teens flash with their white outfits ripping off power packs to leave drones damaged. "This is just so weird. All of us are here!" His eyes pop, "All of us heroes are here… Why?"

* * *

Superman lands to rip off his belt and toss it into a trashcan. He didn't care about them anymore, he wanted one thing and that was the revenge for her. "You bastard! Show yourself!" Superman looks all around with his X-ray vision "I know you're here somewhere!"

There was silence and soon, Superman clenches his fists murmuring "Coward…"

Superman is head butted and falls on his back, looking up he finds Akaige standing over him with eyes flaring with the mist, "_You've no room to call me a coward boy!"_

Superman laughs a breath before kicking out the legs of Akaige and lunging up he grabs their ankles and twirls Akaige in the air by his waist. Superman tosses Akaige into a wall that lead to some manufacturing plant "What can be more cowardly than killing a woman in cold blood?"

Superman walks into the building looking with his eyes shining a red light through the machines. His eyes scan over the room but it wasn't until Akaige leapt from the roof he was found out. Akaige swings both his hands into Superman's back launching him to the ground, and while there Akaige grabs the cape and twirls Superman like he was twirled. Launching the hero into a large machine Akaige chuckles a little to Superman's pushing away debris "_I admit killing her was a bit one sided, but even I can put my views up a little so I can do what was needed."_

"How was killing her even needed?"

"_How was it not? Look at you Kal'el! You came here in rage blinded from your allies. You removed communication; you're here alone with me! As for your friends they are all busy fighting while you and I are here. Without her death you never would have accepted my challenge to a fight. Her life a small, feeble one as may be was very important to this…"_ Superman at hearing her being downsized flashes over and lays punches into the face of Akaige. Akaige bobbed in the strong far pitched swings but in a moment he latches his arm on one punch and swings his own strike. The punch smacks the center of Superman's stomach causing the wind to go, after that Akaige pulls from the one held arm to toss Superman to the side where he then rushes and kicks the still hobbled Superman in the side of the skull. Superman drops on his front, pushing up he is clenching his teeth before a set of claws latch his hair and pulls his head straight back "_You think wild punches will defeat me?"_ Superman is flung from the hairs into another machine. Superman pushes up and fires his eyes on Akaige's one side making the shadow lord fall on his one leg and grab the injury "How about that?"

Akaige looks up with a bit of lust in his eyes, "_You're not even close."

* * *

_

Raven lands and chants "Azar…" Malchior slaps her and she falls on his side to the ground. Looking up he turns up to the sky and hovers again "No! You must use your mind! Chanting your spells takes too much time."

Raven tries to do this but her hands merely wave into the air. Malchior notices and thinks loudly "A good way to learn is under fire." His eyes glow and soon many blackened orbs appear around him the size of basketballs. They begin flying at Raven and she instinctively flies up into the air. Her eyes glow, she readies to chant but she knows what he wants. She turns in mid air, and heads for one of the orbs. Her hands in front of her she envisions what she wants, what spell to use. Her mind in flashes forms the spell and power calling it to her two hands the jade phoenixes fly out from her palms and rip the orbs apart. This was causing Malchior to smile a little.

She lands to find him in a stance, "Now hand to hand."

"What? Why do I need to know that?"

"Akaige is an accomplished warrior. His existence has been all around battle and combat, chances are you won't be able to rely solely on spells you will need to know some parts of combat."

She nods and raises her hands "Are all the Kagejin like Akaige?"

Malchior is hesitant, "I would not say like, but they're all a warrior breed so very closely they follow his example." Malchior looks to her not knowing she had already lunges for attack "Wh…" he is struck and now she begins flurries of her fists. Malchior dodges a moment and swings his heel down from above striking her on the base of the back neck and to the ground. "Nicely done; you know your own strength is limited so using your magical ability you should be able to improve on the power behind your strikes."

"Okay!" She leaps up and with energy forming around her fists she punches more strength in each jab, Malchior blocks them and laughs "If you think this is hard wait until I start fighting back!"

"Then why don't you?" Raven latches her hand onto Malchior's wrist and pulls it back, twisting it so he now falls on his knee where she latches the other hand on his throat. Malchior grins under his paper mask, "Yes… why not?" he now plows an open palm into her stomach making her loose grip, then he grabs her head in a headlock while putting one leg between hers so he can throw her to the ground. Malchior swings a foot down but she rolls out from it she now points up her palms and both her hands fire beams of her shadow energy pushing Malchior back. He chuckles saying "You're quite an amazing woman."

Raven stops her attack, a blush she asks "What did you say?"

"Nothing;" Malchior puts his arms up in attack so she mimics, "Let's see what you really have for a while!"

* * *

Spiderman was no longer in his costume he was Peter Parker. Average, everyday nice guy with nice upbringing by his uncle and aunt. His uncle was long gone; an incident he remembers greatly was that. However his Aunt May always stands by him in support. He just came as Spiderman from J. Jonah Jameson's office. He gave Jonah a nice talk about an article he, Spiderman wanted in the paper. Jonah didn't want to do it, but when Spiderman mentioned it was only if something terrible happened to the city people should do this. Jonah was not hesitant, he was furious and mad with the lack of power, but not hesitant as he called his friend Robby in to stop the presses and put this new article in the paper. Spiderman now Peter Parker was happy to know people could be safe so he walks into the door, looks up to see… "Eddy!"

Eddy merely smiles as he sat at the dinner table with Aunt May dishing up a meal. "Hey Parker; We were wondering when you would show up…" He smirks a little "Your Aunt has been very sweet to us."

The elderly lady smiles up in a sweet fashion "Oh Peter, such a nice young man why didn't you introduce me sooner? He came to the door asking if you were home and when I said no he was going to leave. I grabbed him and dragged him in; he's eaten like a hoarse almost as if he hasn't had a good meal for weeks!"

"It was more like years…" May blinks but Parker steps up "Er, he's not used to great food he spends most his time eating from T.V. dinners and stuff."

"Oh? Is that so? Well than enjoy this meal together boys I want to learn all I can about you."

"Indeed, after all we are partners, right Parker?" Peter raises a brow but Aunt May nods, "I can't believe you never said anything. I mean honestly, Peter, if this was the choice you made I should have been a part of it."

"What are you talking about?"

"I always wondered the reason you acted awkward around girls, and also the many times I found stick stains on the walls of your room. I figured it was normal, but Eddy cleared it all up for me."

Eddy smirks as Parker screams "Aunt May I didn't want you to find out like this! I was going to tell you but…"

"If you want to be a homosexual it's fine Peter." Parker has a slight twitch as Eddy was holding his laughter as snorts "I will always love you no matter what choices you make, not that there's anything wrong with this choice I just… always wanted little ones at my feet."

Parker turns in a scold causing Eddy to loose his cool and finally break down laughing "You bastard."

"Yes…" Eddy wipes a tear "Tell her the real story Parker."

"Aunt May…" Peter Parker clears his throat before removing his shirt to show his Spiderman outfit. "I'm Spiderman."

Aunt May looks at the shirt, "Oh dear… you two role-play? Peter don't you think your obsession with Spiderman may be going a bit too far?"

Eddy screams in laughter before falling flat on his back, kicking on the floor he hears Parker snapping "No, Aunt May the partnership we have is crime fighting! I'm the real Spiderman! All those pictures, the secrets outings were me! I'm sorry… I…"

Aunt May hugs Peter crying "Oh Peter! This is marvelous news! I always knew that Spiderman person was a good boy and now I know the truth. Also, this means I can still have young ones at my feet someday!"

Peter sighs as he hugs his Aunt. "I love you Aunt May."

Eddy sighs as he sits back in his chair, "We are quite pleased it went so well… she thought he was gay he, he."

"Thank you for making him tell the truth!" Aunt May hugs Eddy making the giant man swing his arms at his sides blushing "Ah! We do not like the hugging; we do not like the hugging!"

Peter now turns away shaking his head it may be strange but in a way Venom was not too bad. His own arrogance may seem nothing compared to the brute, but in a way they did have the power to maybe save an entire city, or maybe a world too.

* * *

Raven screams as her beam bounces in mid range to the other beam. Hers was a beautiful pale blue, her enemies a crimson swirl. The beams force on each other until Raven screams again, and in her rage feeding the power she pushes off the attacker and blasts Malchior straight into the dirt. His body is surrounded by the ground crater, and his voice squeaks "Ouch…"

Raven's giggle caught him and he pitched up to her "Raven? Was that an honest laugh?"

"Oh…" Raven soon shifts to her normal monotone "Sorry."

"No don't be." Malchior pushes up and looks at her as she lands to the floor "I forgot the last time I made you laugh I almost made you cry." She shifts uneasily, and what she didn't notice was that he did too. "It has been several years we spent training here. Years upon years and now it is time to ready for the final ordeal."

"Really;" Raven gives a worried look "Am I ready?"

"I think you've been ready but I was worried about the final test. After this, if you succeed I will take you to the battlefield." His eyes began to glow and he rose into the air, "Fail, and I believe it will kill you."

"What will?" Malchior's papers turned to scales and standing before Raven was the full form of Malchior, a dragon beast of unknown darkness. His power began to show all around him, the air moves from his wide wings and soon he asks "_Are you ready my dear?"_

"Are you?" Raven floats up and raises her hands to create claws that soon push down on Malchior "_Excellent! Keep trying Raven!"

* * *

_

Superman lands a massive swing that nearly wails Akaige through several of the machines. He steps down, landing Superman falls on one leg partially before standing tall again. He holds his one left arm and cringes as the pain wakes him to reality. A large gash is bleeding greatly in his wound where the claws ripped open three holes. "It hurts so…"

"_Pain is such a rarity to you isn't it?"_ The voice seemed from the nothingness, but as a collapsed machine rips into two Akaige stood between the metallic columns letting his arms hang and cape fall around him "_I have always wondered why they find you so fascinating. A man unaffected to pain and known as the most astounding of their own. The fact is that in the eyes of these normal humans, you Kal'el are a god. A false deity, an idol they revere for his invulnerable form and born gifts." _Akaige pushes over a pillar of ripped metal, "_I believe you have become so arrogant from this praise you may even see yourself as such. Seeing your powers, the gifts bestowed by nature as a claim to the title of gods."_

"Shut the hell up! Why do you have to talk so damn," Superman flies up and wails another punch "Much?"

Akaige's body seems to topple slightly, but in a halted falter Akaige slowly rolls his head back up and bringing the brim of his eyes up in a cruel stare Superman falls back on his heels "_I'm trying to find something out Kal'el. What is the reasoning behind your falsehood? The essence of your piloting a new world." _Akaige leaps into the rafters and Superman begins shinning his eyes "_Is it because you could not control the fate of your home world? Was it the fate of that world that makes you so obsessed with control?"_

"No now show yourself!"

"_Ah, then it is the weakness of men? The fact you see them as so weak that when you play a role as a mortal man, you are a walking definition of pathetic? Embarrassed, shy Clark Kent with his glasses and unusual attitude of life? Is it in this you found a need as Superman to rule the species? To be master of all that there is?"_

"Stop it! This isn't me!"

"_What are you Kal'el? What is Superman? What is Clark Kent? I want to know! I want to understand why you feel you have a right to claim that good should be superior, that life should never end! What gives you the right to choose that which only gods should! Where does a mortal, a mere mortal, get the right to decide the fate of the universe?"_

"I MAKE MY OWN RIGHT!" Superman screams as he now fires his eyes at the room, madness took its toll and Superman screams in heated rage with the beams tearing the building down. Support after support, a beam falls and the roof crumbled. Superman stops only to see the dust clearing, hearing the guns and men fighting. He turns around to see the League, X-men, and Titans fighting the odds of drones. He merely glares his eyes ignoring the many obstacles even the green alien J'onn who lands next to Superman "We have this under control Superman you should…" Superman pushes J'onn asking "Where are you hiding? Come on, show yourself you monster!" Superman flies up into the air to get a bird's view. J'onn notices the blood; Superman had a cut in the shoulder, his face marked in blood. It was as he envisioned Superman, "Clark! You have to leave here!"

* * *

(Music: Chop Suey by System of a Down)

Superman ignores the man hunter; he seems too observed on his other personal matters. That was when as he moves his head he sees something on a roof merely looking through the firing blasts. It had the eyes and claw, clasping in their view of Superman. The cape in the back rips up the middle and makes two wings, Superman pushes J'onn out of his way screaming as he plows both arms downward. Akaige acts the same way flapping his wings and forcing up into the air. Akaige clenches his claw tighter as he closes into the charging Superman. The two meet in the air and tie up, Superman tries punching the ribs of Akaige while he is being punched in the face.

The two fighting figures smash into the ground hard making the villains and heroes watch two forms mingling in broken pavement. Akaige is flung out of the hole; he rolls on the floor as Superman flung his two fists into the ground. Akaige kicks out sweeping into the back of Superman and then he grabs the cape to pull it back and choke Superman. Superman rips off his cape and turns to punch Akaige back again. Superman looks up and sees Akaige has flattened on his back from the strike, Superman runs out with his two fists tight ready to strike. Akaige lies still until Superman comes too close; he bolts up his two feet into the stomach of Superman making him fall in on his own momentum. Akaige leaps out and slashes his right claw over the upper brow of Superman making a slight spray of crimson as he passed. Superman grabbed the spot but turns up seeing Akaige speed to a halt and merely held up his claw flexing it.

Superman glares before firing his two eyes on the claw hand. Akaige lets his claw drop and slaps back Superman when he jumps at him from behind. Green Lantern tries to intervene but as he readies to fire a beam Superman flies up and punches his friend "He's mine! Keep back!" Superman goes back and tries to strike once again.

"_Your pride has suffered more injuries than anything else Kal'el!"_ Akaige dodges several strikes to now grab Superman by the throat and push him off. "_You have been placed back with the rest of your mortal brothers and sisters no longer a man above the rest. You may call yourself a 'Super' man."_ Superman screams as he swings a punch, Akaige grips on the wrist and twists Superman back around, the claws widen and Akaige's eyes shined in a moment of recognition, "_But you have the one mistakable flaw of them all." _Akaige flings forth his claw and Superman who has his body turned to his enemy is now widening his eyes, "_Like all men you are a mere mortal where I am not."_

The screams of pain catch all of the league members; J'onn falls on his knees as he knows what has happened. The X-men have returned through a portal to see the scene of Akaige's claws digging into flesh, spraying all over him the crimson blood of his latest prey. Superman falters on his knees as the claws wrench a little; Akaige bends his face to allow his sense to soak the pleasure of Superman's last breaths into his own face. In one more twist, Superman heaves and turns before the ripping of the claw out and splashing of scarlet streams. The titans both east and west look in total horror as an idol to them all has now fallen to his side in total defeat.

"_A leisurely activity…"_ Akaige closes his eyes as he bends back his head with the blood trailing over his form, being soaked into his body through unholy means. "_This truly is a rewarding leisure."_

(Music: Ends)

* * *

There was the initial silence of seeing such a sight so suddenly. In many of these heroes eyes Superman was the ultimate in heroism. That was the reason though; Akaige knew he was in all reality, the head of the serpent. When you cut off the head the body merely squirms, and dies. It was in all their eyes the fear and terror of seeing a man like him dead. Akaige looks over and glares to the cape before taking it into his claw to wipe it off on the bloodied cape.

The sight still has the heroes in shock all but one actually. Slade had returned and mainly in his own way he makes over some rooftops to raise his staff. Leaping off Slade swings up his staff to miss as Akaige sidesteps. "Damn!" Slade swings the staff but Akaige dodges under the swings, "_No rest for the wicked eh? Well then back to work!"_

Logan sniffs the air and runs over to the cape, sniffing it he snarls. Magneto is confused, "What is it Logan?"

"This isn't just Superman's blood. He's got Charles's blood on his claws."

"Professor X?" Cyclops asks in worry "Did something happen to the professor?"

Rogue steps over to see Superman, "This looks like my dream." She grabbed her hands noticing she lost her one glove from that time Holocaust hit her before, "It's exactly like what I dreamed."

A figure floats down with a long red cape and chains "Maybe your dream was a premonition. What did you dream?"

"I dreamt I was here, and I drained a man of his powers and life-force. It killed him, but also it gave me all their powers I think. There was also a man… or something with a big head."

"Uatu? The Watcher?" Spawn nods his head and asks "What else happened?"

"I don't know I think it all…" A hand grabs hers and soon Rogue feels her body burning. Superman heard her and his mind seems to recognize that he needs to act. He grabs with his other hand and pulls her down, putting his cheek to hers he whispers as his mind is seemingly to go fuzzy "Remember you're… human…" The surge then intensifies, Rogue is screaming as she is blasted away by his power through her body and when he died, she felt as if he was her. Rogue's form is caught by Magneto; his eyes seem to look her over unconscious. "I'll tend to Rogue all of you concentrate on him!"

The heroes turn to Akaige who has dodged every strike by Slade. "How can he dodge my attacks?"

"_I took it slow with Superman because I needed him here and every thing like that. Now it's more a game, who here is the one that will prove worth my time?" _Akaige flicks away the staff and grabs Slade over the face raising him into the air, "_Not you it seems!"_

Rose screams with her own weapon slamming it into the back of Akaige. Akaige turns his head a little and glares before tossing Slade to the side. Rose pulls out her weapon and tries to slash it over Akaige's head but he easily kicks his one foot into her exposed chest flopping her straight onto her back. There he stomps the same foot down hard and holds her by the abdomen to the ground. Rose reaches for her weapon; it is at her fingertips as she hears an unsheathing sound. Rose turns up and views the long fan-blade sword swinging out from the tentacle sheath over head. Akaige raises it up with his claw hand and points it vertical with the forked ends at Rose's chest. Her eye slinks a little, "Fath…" The blade falls and in a moment her legs jerk before resting. Akaige pries his blade out from the dirt and bones, causing the forked edges to snap open the chest cavity with a sickening crackle before turning back to the other heroes watching.

Darkseid shivers as he says "He almost makes me sick to my stomach." 

"Yes now let's go we still have work to get done." Brother Blood turns up to see Madame rolling as a ball to the villains and back to normal. "Akaige says he can deal with the rest of them as he has the drones. We'll go to the third phase now."

Slade pushes up in some disbelief when it all was over, "Rose?" He sits up on his knees trapped in the moment asking "Rose?"

Akaige has no concern on Slade any longer he moves onto the other heroes awakening from the death of Superman. With them now closing in Akaige flicks his cape back causing the drones to rest behind him. With a flick forward the drones blast off toward the heroes, some breakthrough the drones and these would be his. Akaigegleamed his eyes because this was what he loves most, the challenge.

* * *

Raven stops her attacks as Malchior lay still on his side. She pants breaths of haggard strain before the dragon stirs slowly. When it turns to papers wrapping into book binding Raven now lies down and takes a deep breath. Malchior has turned to the paper wizard and now looks to Raven "I believe you are ready my dear Raven. Your powers have reached a peak unlike any other I ever knew. If you can channel them to their fullest, you may be powerful enough to destroy Akaige."

Raven nods and smiles "Thank you Malchior. Without your help," she pushes up and hugs him strongly over the waist "I never could have done all this!"

Malchior looks in awe ahead of himself to the horizon. A hug, a real hug that he too felt… was right. Malchior's shock falls and he lays an arm around her shoulders to share this moment "Raven… thank you as well."

Malchior holds her a moment too long because as she blushed she asks "Malchior?"

Malchior realizes, and he lets her go saying "I merely wanted to make sure you were… ready. Yes, that is all." Malchior rises up his hands and soon a portal opens "It's time Raven let's go."

* * *

Rogue lay still as Magneto removed the rubble with his powers. If he had not been so shocked he may have helped her sooner. She lay still, and somehow he knew she lost her senses in the ordeal. With his mind scanning possibilities he remembers the plan he and Mystique had before. His eyes narrow and he takes off his helmet, showing an strong male face though he has been of many years he used a super-soldier treatment from the Captain America project to reverse his aging and now he was a young man once more. His eyes shine in a power like before but the power grows over his form changing the energy layout of his own life force. Doing this he waits a moment to see if she would wake, when she didn't he lowers himself to her and breathes into her lungs life giving air, and attempt to restart her body. It took several tries but she does awake and seeing Magneto had touched her makes her ask "Magneto?"

"You saved me girl. I owed you that much in return." He stands up and puts back his helmet. Flying into the air he heard Rouge scream "How could you touch me? I mean without me draining your powers!"

"Your powers are a mere energy force, much as my own is a form of energy within my body. By changing the charge of my body I also was immune to your own powers." Magneto begins to leave again, "Hold it! Why didn't you tell me you could do this?" She is ignored but in her haste she runs after him, her body feels strange still but in a way she felt stronger, faster, and maybe able to leap over… "I said wait you polecat!"

Magneto is soon finding himself grappled from the back. He is looking to see Rogue has him, in mid air, flying? "What in the world?"

Rogue looks down, she screams as she was not sure how she flew up there and now she began to sag Magneto. He lifts them both up and he now asks "How did you fly?"

"I don't…" Her mind now searches, and she looks to the way her hand was bare, "When Superman touched me it… it gave me his powers! Somehow I gained all his powers!"

"What!" Magneto turns so suddenly that she looses grip, but inches from the ground she stops, and in a moment of shock she smirks and flies up next to Magneto, fancifully kicking her legs under her like she was skipping around him "I can't believe it! I can fly!"

"Indeed, what about his other powers?"

Rogue thinks for a moment and turns down to some stone walls still standing. She flies down both hands out and smashes through them, arching up to the sky she stops and thumbs up Magneto "I got the strength one!"

"What about vision?"

Rogue looks at the buildings, trying she seems to only pop a vein in her one eye, "Ow! No I don't have that one!"

Magneto bobs over his arms crossed. He wonders why she did not have that power "Perhaps since Superman was so close to death it transferred only what power he did have before dying. Flight and strength are yours but as for indestructibility…" Magneto shifts his eyes "I'm not sure how we test that one."

Rogue nods "I guess we can try it with that Akaige jerk!" She clenched her fists together "He deserves a regular butt-whooping for what he did to Professor X."

Magneto nods "Yes Rogue he does. However you might wish for something to cover your hands." Magneto rises up some metal to create female sized gauntlets that fit over Rogue's hands. She holds up her hands and nod as Magneto flies off towards the battle "Let us hurry! We must not loose the chance to avenge Charles!"

* * *

Raven enters into the library and she gasps to see Fate on the ground, bleeding from the chest "Oh no."

Malchior turns away saying "It was inevitable. We must keep going Raven."

"We? I thought you were going to leave."

"I was but…" Malchior shifts his head to her, "I feel you need more guidance. I will accompany you and offer all my experience to maybe give you the last push you need to fight Akaige."

"I thought I was ready?"

"You are." Malchior smiles to her a little "Oh Raven how ready you are. However I do believe I now know why Fate chose me to help you. What he knew was still necessary, and how only one like myself could do so." His bindings are ripping and the pages roll into a paper rose inside the hood and behind her ear with eyes within some petals "Trust me Raven."

Raven looks at him slightly cockeyed, "How do we get to Akaige?"

"A portal you can open them now after all you did learn what I know as well."

She does a slight shift of her hands and another portal opens letting her step through to Jump City where she sees things she never expected. Her eyes are wide and grim, "What happened?"

The scene was of the drones and members of the league torn about the landscape. Some members were merely wounded or unconscious but the extreme was obvious they died in their fights. "Isn't it obvious Raven? They have been fighting long into this battle against the allies and drones of evil. That has allowed Akaige to weaken the less worthy members and stronger members. He's been planning this for some time; even with his fights he has the advantage that he has only been fighting a small time while the others fought all the day. I have a feeling he is headed to the tomb of Trigon for some reason."

Raven notices the sky was dark, "We've been gone for several years and a whole day has nearly gone by. This has to be stopped before it gets too out of hand!" She floats along to see Slade kneeling over Rose. She was sort of caught off guard seeing her enemy like this, "Slade?"

"I never was a good father. The times my children were in my life it always lead to pain." His mask hides the frown, but tears leak through his open eye, "A horrible husband, reckless role model, the only thing I ever did right was killing. Being a madman, and villain I excelled on all those things. The things I should have been working on though…"

Raven sighs hearing all this, Malchior whispers "We had best move on Raven. If we waste too much time Akaige may become too powerful to stop."

Raven looks at Malchior then Slade "So, you're going to sit here and cry? The man that terrorized the Teen Titans sits here over his dead daughter's husk not trying to stop the monster that killed her? He instead wants sympathy for his mistakes? I'm sorry Slade," She turns to leave "But I'm too busy to pity you I have a monster to stop."

Slade sat silent hearing her every word. He did not get angry, he did not fall to sadness, he instead stood off his knees and turned to her opening his eye in the cold manner he would before "You know," He walks over to her leaning his head down to her own stare of indifferent coldness, "You're pretty short for a hero especially the kind that talks back to me."

"I'm going to stop this demon. Are you coming or what?"

Slade raises his chin, and looking back to Rose he speaks solemnly "I have nothing else here to stay for." He looks to the horizon "I would have to say there is my future, or in truth my end. We'll go together but hopefully only I'll die."

"I need you to do something else Slade. I'll be the one to fight Akaige you need to get the others back away as far as you can."

"The fireworks will be that great? I can't wait to see what you do Raven."

Raven turns and they start to leave when they hear a noise. They turn to see a strange green aura has surrounded Rose, her wound heals over. Slade was wide-eyed when he sees his daughter breathing and soon she jumps up screaming "Father!"

Slade runs over and hugs her, "Oh god! Thank you god, Rose! You're alive again my dear Rose!" Rose turns red in embarrassment but she does not care not often did her father show this attitude. Raven was startled too, "How did this happen?"

"Something raised her from the dead! It must have been paranormal magic or powers since she was not killed by Akaige's claws but his sword it was healable but those powers will not heal an injury from demonic hands."

Slade holds Rose up, asking "Are you ready to try and pay this bastard back?"

"Of course." Rose now feels her father holding his arm around her shoulder "I will make you proud this time dad."

"You always do." The team stops as the red caped figure steps into the fray. Spawn holds out two guns "You know how to use these?"

Slade grabs a gun as does Rose. They cock the guns and Spawn moves his cape so he can grab two more that were rifles. He has ammo and grenades all over his muscular form Slade laughs asking "You think you're prepared?"

"Nope, I don't have a towel after all."

The team moves ahead and Spawn chuckles with the green energy in his eyes as he saw Slade hold Rose again.

* * *

It only got worse as they were in the tomb of Trigon. Coming down the many spiral stairs Robin jumps back from the firing blasts of the drones. A green eagle flies over some drones and falls as an elephant to crush the drones and some steps before turning to another eagle. Robin leaps up and spirals as he was in the circus, Beast Boy notices and turns to a pterodactyl to allow Robin to grab his legs and carry him off to the other steps. Starfire swung her bolts into more drones, as Cyborg from the ground made awesome cover fire. As this happens the drones cover from Nightcrawler phasing Cyclops to a step where he releases a long barrage of his optics. Jean soon does a shield protecting them and Kitty phases through the walls to grab one drone and pulls it into a wall half-way trapping it. Storm releases her cold aura to many mechanical enemies causing them to shut-off their thrusters and fall the pit, while Wolverine took others to the ground in berserker rage. Red X still on the team launches his disks scrambling a couple drones, but Iron Man narrowly finds the drone still working and about to fire so he blasts it in the back of the head. Red X makes a salute not able to block the blast that does hit him into the hole; luckily a lasso wraps him and drags him back up. Wonder woman gives a smile before raising her bracelets to bounce off rounds of the enemy. J'onn phased from a wall between two drones and smashes their heads in, now turning he swings the drones weighing down another one. Green Lantern makes a shield and pushes the shield into three blasting drones crushing them into the wall. Batman launches his batarangs cutting two drones thrusters off and letting them fall too. Rogue with her new powers catches the many heroes off guard; Magneto explains the power-transfer and many seem more stunned than relieved. It was a war zone here, attacks from all around as they traveled the steps to the lower sanctum of Trigon's tomb. Ahead of the drones was Akaige who walks with two strange objects attached to his waist in stasis jars a reptile and a scorpion?

Mento smashes his fist into a wall as his powers did nothing to help. Every attempt to read Akaige's mind was useless "He's somehow blocking my mental probes! He must be a psychic too!"

"Is that how the thing talks? I haven't caught his hood moving all that much."

Mento nods to Robot man "Maybe that also explains his immunity to psychic probing." Mento tries pushing away drones to see Akaige has turned to him and the others "_You need something?"_

Mento glares with a slight side smirk "We need you to stop running and die." He flings out his hand screaming "Doom Patrol, move out!"

The others run out to attack Akaige and Beast Boy sees his team the titans "Beast Boy! Are you coming or what?"

"Me? But I was…"

"You've become a great man Beast Boy." Beast Boy blushes as Mento lays his hand on Beast Boy's shoulder "When you left you did the right thing. You made your own place in the world. Now for old time's sake let…" Mento is tripped and dragged back by Akaige "_Are we going to put on dresses and drink tea, or fight?"_

Mento rolls over and flares up his mind to push Akaige off and back to Robot man. Robot man grabs Akaige and tries to bear-hug him but Akaige breaks free and kicks back the metal giant. Negative man blares through punching his negative self over Akaige making the shadow demon bob in the strikes. ElastiGirl now grows in size and stomps  
Akaige to the ground twice, but the third time he lunges up his claw and digs into her foot. Beast Boy waits and as Akaige stood up he runs forward, his snort and he turns to a Rhino to plow Akaige into the wall with his horn. Akaige smashes up through the wall into a crackling imprint. His head falls back with his eyes going out and when Beast Boy moves away Akaige falls forward and on his knees. The team looks pleased until Akaige's eyes glow again, and he seems to just float up onto his feet "_Nicely done. Still I think I'll have to take a rein check."_

Akaige drops over the steps and rips up his cape to fly into the corridor to Trigon's tomb. Beast Boy gets ready to follow but a white field stops him, "Okay, who was the wise guy to…" He sees Raven float down "Rae-Rae!"

He hugs her tightly; Raven snarls "Not in any situation can you say Rae-Rae ever again."

The titans surround the dear friend with compliments on her return. Raven looks to Blink asking "Can you make a portal to get everyone out of here?"

"Sure, but it will tax me really big this kind of a trip."

"Trust me if all goes as we planned you won't need to use your powers anymore." Raven looks among the face with their confusion "Recently I took training by Dr. Fate. Akaige killed him but my training kept going with the help of a friend called Malchior." The titans give looks but Raven ignores "Now I have a large amount of power but to use it and defeat Akaige I need some space. Follow Blink she'll take you far enough from the danger zone!"

Slade screams "You heard her get a move on!" He nods to Raven and she nods back "Thank you Slade."

"I guess it's a sad day when I need to be reminded by a titan." He chuckles as the others begin moving out "Is this rock bottom or what?"

Starfire hugs Raven tightly the way she does causing Raven to gag for air afterwards "Take care dear friend and return to us with minimal or no harm please?"

Cyborg gives a thumb up "Just remember when it's all over, Booyah."

Beast Boy gives the toothy grin "You know after this I want to hear everything, I might even drink some of that nasty tea of yours too!"

Robin walks over to her and shakes his head "Can't we help you?"

"This is my fight now. You did your best and thank you for it all of you."

The titans give a final little farewell before following with the others. Raven sighs deeply and turns around letting a tear fall her cheek. "You'll see them again Raven."

"I know but if not…"

"You will. I know you will."

* * *

The tomb was silenced in her step inside. Raven looks to the center where once the hand of her father waited for her action. The plate over the hole was the mark of Scath, on the two marks of red a dead scorpion and dead reptile had been burned to ash. Raven narrows her eyes but the voice soon seeks her "_I already sent those two away. Shao Khan gave me two of his most valued warriors to help in this conquest."_ Raven glares as Akaige's wings flapped and he lands to the center of the symbol "_I was wondering where you were. It actually made sense what happened, Fate taught you did he?"_

Raven looks up seeing the caves echoed her friends leaving as it were "You heard me explaining myself?"

"_Well, maybe just a little. I can't wait to see what all he taught you."_

Akaige made to a stance but he soon noticed she clenched her fists, "Now or never…" Her eyes began to glow and she lets her voice speak up not words but a slow growl, the growl grew to a scream, and then to a roar. The body of Raven begins to glow brightly and the room is soon being filled by a field of white. Akaige rises up his arms as the dome rises over the walls and ceiling making it begin to crumble slightly. The heroes have just finished escaping as the white energy flushes through the halls and destroyed the last drones tearing them to cinders. From outside, the heroes look to see pillars of light rise at angles and to the sky vertically as the power pours up and out from the epicenter of Raven. When it was over, and the light dies down Raven is breathing a little hard but she was not tired, her emotions had been freed in one moment and she looks to see the walls crumbled slightly and now holes where the moonlight shines through made her grin. The one thing she does not see was Akaige, he was gone from sight.

"Yes…" Raven heaves a heavy breath while she lets herself fall on one knee, "It worked Malchior…"

"Great work Raven I knew it would be immense. You must have turned him to ashes."

Raven smiles as she hears some stones falling from the holes in the roof. "Nothing hardly is left of this place." More stones shift, but this time they sounded… She turns on her heels and raises a hand shield to block the claws that ripped from under the ground. Like a snake the arm extended from elsewhere and tunneled under the now broken stone to strike at Raven from behind. She creates more shields and blocks several times but still winded she looses her control, the claw bounces off one shield and rolls under it to now latch into her side. Raven screams before pulling it out by her force and tossing it to the ground hard. Blood now drips her side; she had a slight wound but nothing serious. Raven turns up to watch the claw tunneling in reverse to the part dug into the ground and the shoulder that belonged to the claw.

Akaige pushed up off his crouched posture and crosses his arms. Raven stands up and readies to attack again this time channeling blue auras around her hands but that was stopped from Akaige disappearing into the shadows "Where did he go?"

Akaige appears behind Raven she does not know but Akaige flips her hood so she turns and fires only on nothing. Akaige appears again and pulls on her cape she fires there as well. "Raven! He's trying to make you use all your energy! He's hiding in the shadows!"

Raven narrows her eyes and collects her hands to push them up over her head. The jade phoenix flies into the air and swings out its wings to cover the area with green light. The phoenix would only last so long as she charged it with only a little power. She scans quickly to find the shadows were shrinking so she found from one a form leaps out and rolls to a halt. Akaige looks up not able to block as Raven channels her powers all around Akaige, stretching him out from the arms and legs she now tosses him around the walls and floor making it crumble on him and leaving bigger holes that let the moonlight shine in more. She drops him after several slams and watches as he lays still. Floating closer to inspect she grabs her wound cringing as the pain was still there.

Akaige flips up and kicks her chin, landing back on his heels he kicks off and rams his shoulder into Raven slamming her back he hit her wound making her scream and roll from the hit. When she looks up her amethyst eyes became terrified from the claw arm raised and charging in its fingers was a large rolling and molding mass of strange energy like that which Akaige's eyes were but more an energy than a mist. He slunk his eyes and pitches the energy up higher, "_See, that whole explosion wasn't necessary. It's easier to just make one ball and see what it does."_

Akaige flings the ball and when Raven goes to block her wound begins to bleed more, she screams and falls in looking to the form making to her as the final blow. To her surprise a set of hands appear to stop the orb with their own body. Raven sits up on her knees to see the form of Malchior now catching flame in the energy. "Malchior! What do you think you're doing?"

"It is strange is it not? One time I actually made it my mission to hurt you. Not just to be free, but to merely find pleasure in seeing your pain." Malchior turns with parts of his paper form burn away, other parts catching slightly "When we were in that one realm I found out how wonderful you are. I know I hurt you; I'm sorry Raven I truly am. I wish I only knew then what I did now. I wish I could have loved you then like I do now." Malchior reaches his hand out but as he came close to her his hand fell as ash. Raven's eyes watered seeing his head soon turning to ash but his eyes stayed at her the whole time. "Malchior!"

When he fell as ash, she swore his heart turned to a rose that lay on the ground calmly before her. Raven reaches out her delicate fingers to try and touch this last gift but a shadowy foot stomps down on the flower soon grinding it into the ground. Raven's hand shook in the air still stretched out as Akaige twisted his toe into the ground. She soon saw Malchior in that realm teaching her, taking the chance to raise her power, to improve on her skills. Her mind was nearly as numb as her body but in a moment the numbness was gone, a heat burns on her skin and she looks up in a jolt so quick Akaige nearly didn't notice it. She flew up and even if he was taller, more muscular the way her hand cracked a fist encased with her powers made even his neck snap back. As he was rising up she kicks her other leg into his one side making him now falter onto his feet and waddle back from the strike. She screams with another punch this time to the abdomen, Akaige hunches over and his eyes widen from the stroke of pains. She now grabs Akaige by the head, turning all her might she tosses him across the ground digging up some debris as his force broke through the larger boulders stopping in its own creviced pathway.

Raven's wound still bled but she did not care. She felt pain but it did not slow her down. Her body was in a state of realization that her mind only recently found. She had to win this fight and he had to be stopped somehow. Akaige slowly slaps his claw onto the ground following soon his other hand he pushes up letting debris fall out from his hood, "_You know… I might have pushed this a little too far, too fast."_ Akaige feels the hands on his ankle, dragging him back and around he screams "_Oh yeah, I definitely did it now!"_


	7. It Has To Be Over

The Age of Akaige

By Pakkrat

Chapter 7: It has to be over!

Disclaimer: I own Akaige, the Kagejin, and other things if I say I do. I take credit for only so many things. All Marvel, DC, Comic and video references are divulged to their creators as their creations I merely do this for entertainment purposes! This chapter has moments with many of the villains and heroes who will play roles in the story whether large or small. It will be fun to see what all you can see and remember so have fun with it! Shekron, is a character created by my friend Shekron Kaizar and the Wolf Envclaves along with the Three, Leviathan, Bahamut, and Tiamat all are used by Psychic Werewolf Assassin. Some sexual content is implied but not really expressed. A warning to those who are not into minor sexual themes.

The heroes sat or stood far from the actual battle. The city was even evacuated after the major fights began earlier. They were on the outskirts of the city where Robin now stood on the edge of a large desert rock scanning the entire city left in slight shambles. It was all the work of an evil fiend who now has his friend Raven in his reach. Robin feels a hand on his arm so turning he smiles to Starfire. "She will be victorious friend Robin."

"Yeah," Robin hears the explosion in the city and he turns in a start to slowly calm himself "I know Starfire, I know."

* * *

The smoke clears in the tomb to show Raven floating in the air with her two hands out. Akaige slowly stood up on his one knee before Raven materializes to his front, punching him over the face he is launched across the room through a collapsing wall and skids over the floor twice. Raven lands to see what has happened but the floor rips where Akaige vaults out and to the sky. Flying at Raven he dodges the sparse beams she fires and lands a strong jab to her side letting her wound bleed again. Raven cringes but latches her hands on the punch to vault Akaige over her shoulder and across the scenery. 

While he was gone she instinctively begins healing again. This was taking too long she had to keep healing her wound as when it was partially healed Akaige launches some attack to re-open it. It was a clever little scheme since she had to heal or else let herself bleed to death. The wound was closing over when the dirt rustles and springing up in a screaming run Akaige readies another attack. Raven pulls back her hand and starts rolling her hands over her front in a circle. Eyes closed she imagines her spell and flips up her hands and eyes to release strange flames into the air where they begin coming down like rain. Akaige digs his feet down and creates his shield to block the fire rain. Raven takes to the wound, it closes over slightly before he begins the next charge. Raven waits for him to get close and with the other arm she grabs a fist and falls on one knee. Swinging her arm up she strikes Akaige between the legs so that he stoops over and grabs the spot, "_That was dirty!"_ He rolls on his side holding the spot as Raven closed over her wound finally "At least I'm healed!"

"_Yeah well."_ Akaige pushes up and swings his claw over her face, Raven screams as she has two streaks of crimson cover her face "_I can play dirty too!"_

Raven fell on her back and only through a moment of hate she flings Akaige back with wild sparks of her own energy. Akaige was tossed up but lands on all fours, sprawling out he views over her screams and tosses before she stood with hate. Raven smiles slightly between the blood trails on her face "You are really desperate aren't you?"

"_This isn't desperation this is just a little fun you should learn to enjoy yourself."_

"I don't enjoy fighting like this."

"_You're lying."_ Akaige's eyes leer on her shifted form "_It's all over you Raven these moments are fun for you. The moment the body is taxed, the muscles ache, the scent of your own blood even excites you. This is the nature of a warrior and you have found it sweet."_

Raven flew out with a punch but Akaige twirls her so her own arm was under her throat and with his claw he latches her other arm around her torso to her hip tight "You don't know me!" she snarls out lowly. Akaige chuckles with his chest vibrating under her back "_its exciting Raven. I've lived this feeling all my existence. From lowly minion to unholy master always I've known the joys of battle. You have to admit the fact you're using so much power," _He whispers into her neck making a slight tint over her cheeks "_It makes you wonder how far you can really go."_

Raven channels her power around her wrist and expands to break his grips. Kicking back her one leg she knocks him in the gut, than in a turn leap she releases another kick that Akaige merely swats to knock her off balance and painfully she scrunched on her head and back. Akaige reaches down but two legs swing around and twist over the arm to swing him over her whole body and flat on his back. Both now lay on their backs for mere moments breathing slightly harder than usual. Raven closed her eyes s she tries to rise up even if straining herself up. Her abdominals felt the brunt of the rising upper body but when on her center she heaves a breath before putting her one leg under her body to begin pushing up. The taxing of her body is right; between the injuries and beatings they exchanged it did seem to take a toll. Just then she has an arm around her throat, Akaige chuckles pushing his weight on her to make her lose the air in her chest from crushing her legs into her stomach. Raven glares her eyes ahead and pushes up on the leg, shakily raising Akaige up she stands with him still trying to press her down. "You want to know how far I can go." Raven grabs her hands over his arm to swing him over and as he falls the hands grab his neck to raise him into the air mixed in her power. "I'll show you just how far I can go!" her hands blew him off with an invisible force and Raven falters to her knees again.

Akaige was lodged in a wall with his eyes out burnt out. His arms out and chips of stone falling from the cracks he twitches before his eyes ignite again "_This might take a bit more time than I thought. Those other morons better not mess things up while I'm enjoying myself."

* * *

_

Outside the city Magneto looks at the tomb as curious as the others. Seeing what they all saw it certainly took a toll. Wolverine explained to the others finally what happened to Charles and Cyclops took it hardest "He died? How could this have happened?"

"The professor…" Jean shook her head before crying into Storm's shoulder "He was like a father to me."

"He was like a father to us all Jean. The Professor took us all in and saved all of us from horrible fates."

"I'll never forget what he did for me." Rogue turns to Nightcrawler "We never could forget the things he taught us."

"That's the point." Magneto turns at the teenagers "You must never forget what Charles taught you. You are his legacy and beyond that you are his dreams. I believe Charles knew the time has come for you to make a world of your own but still you have a leader. I know it may seem strange but I would like to ask you all to give me the respect of your new leader."

"What?" Cyclops made a step forward but Sabretooth leapt in snarling. Wolverine pulls Cyclops back saying "Hold it! This was what the Professor wanted. He said we join forces and that's that Scott. I don't like it all that much either but for now give it a chance."

Cyclops had more than optic power in his eyes but the hand of Jean says with her touch and mind, 'Scott, please calm down now is not the time to act this way.'

Cyclops shifts his head to her and lowers his fists "Okay I guess if this was his wish. I won't enjoy it but Magneto… welcome to the X-men."

"Good. Let's be off then." Magneto catches the glares already "I want to join the Brotherhood and X-men immediately. If they need us Blink will make the portal to here."

Blink nods before stepping over to Sabretooth "Mr. Creed I'm going to be taxed out if we keep flipping back and forth like this."

"Just try to keep it up kid I know it's hard but right now we need you more than ever."

Blink has a blush in her cheeks "Yes… for you Mr. Creed."

"Blink could you make a portal to the Brotherhood? After that we are going to go to the X-Mansion and situate the transition. Wolverine do be ready it will not be an easy one I'm sure."

Blink does as asked and the X-men all old and new leave. The remaining heroes watched not noticing the shadow stepping out and away from the conversation. His large form chuckles to themselves before a piece of metal clangs to their large club arm "Damn, still affected by Magneto's power. I'll have to get Sugar Man and Dead Man to look me over before we take care of my unfinished business!"

* * *

In a room with golden like marble walls and columns a young man stood with black hair slicked nicely in style. His green jacket and pants that of school uniform though he had the shirt off and over his shoulder showing the white T underneath. He was with a girl with green hair and a loose purple robe along with some oar like from a boat. "Yusuke this matter happens to have Koenma really upset. King Yama has even begun making some rather unusual requests too." 

"Yeah well." He leaps from the running path of an ogre with papers stacked over his head "Things sure seem busy around here today. What happened?"

"Well…" She opens the doors showing many ogres running with papers as a small boy looking being with a pacifier and blue hat with matching outfit screams to them. Yusuke waves asking "Hey baby-face how's it going?"

"Damn it Yusuke! What kind of spirit detective are you? Something like this happens and you still have to make fun of my appearance?" The little man sniffles before bawling into his own hands. The girl glares smacking Yusuke with her oar, "Ow, damn it Botan that really hurts!"

"Not as much as your ignorance did to Koenma! Now apologize!"

"Okay, sorry about what I said now what's happening?"

The boy looks at Yusuke and nods becoming more business like. His title was Jr. for most part not for his appearance but in fact he was he son of King Yama. "This is all I know. Recently a celestial came to earth by the name Haruko and she came from a council meeting of the three. In the end two very dangerous beings had pleaded their case for the earth. From what I suspect one of them was a demon of relative dangerous power. I'm working to see who that one was, you need to go and find the celestial to see if they can help us find out what happened."

"Alright so where do I look?"

A tall guy with red hair and in a blue school uniform leapt on Yusuke grabbing him in a headlock "Hey I know that! Especially since we all got here hours ago! You're late Yurimeshi, as always!"

Yusuke pulls out of the hold to see three people, one a man with red hair and in a purple vest and pants with a rose at his side. The other in all black with black spiked hair and a white band over his forehead "Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei are all here too? What in the world is going on here Jr.?"

"It's that important! Now get to doing what you're supposed to Spirit Detective!"

Yusuke and the others appear in front of a hospital "This is the place?"

"It certainly is Yusuke." The short man, Hiei walks past them with hands in his pockets "I have a bad feeling about this one."

"You always have bad feelings." The gentlemanly fellow smiles and nods with his opposite friend, his name was Kurama "I do admit this does seem a bit more than some simple questioning."

The tall red head smiles a wide grin, "Hey never fear Kuwabara is here!"

"That's more reason to worry."

"Hey screw you shorty!"

"Knock it off guys!" Yusuke steps to the lead as the others were stopping to see a fight "This is important let's see what's going on?" Yusuke was able to see the aura around the hospital which seemed to be a steam rising over the walls like a dark despair. "Whatever it is it seems to be upset."

Inside they started looking into recent oddities. The one nurse that they needed the information was young but also very authority based. With her "I'm not chancing my job sorry guys."

Hiei turns to Kurama, "Why don't you ask her Kurama?"

Kurama was confused but he agrees "Ma'am I really do need to know about anything from the last day or two. If you could give me the information it would…"

The girl slaps her board down with a fist up in the air "Now listen…" She looks at this man with red hair so fashionable and a nice purple outfit, his eyes sparkled with his kind face and grin "Yurgle…"

Hiei chuckled while Kurama was being handed some papers "I hate it but it works."

"Why does he get all the luck?"

"Somewhere that feminine charm plays too well for a guy." Yusuke turns to Kurama and looks on the papers "Thanks Romeo we better get a move on."

"Romeo?" Kurama blinks while they pass him "What on earth does that mean?"

The paper shows a recent attack last night from someone called Little Slugger. Yusuke figured nothing better than that so when they find the room there are two victims a girl and boy. Outside the boy's room was a giant blue robot and one punk rocker plucking her guitar with her head downcast? "Is this the kid who was hit by Little Slugger?"

Haruko looks up and plucks a string, a rush of the strange despair emotions rise over the halls to the sky where Yusuke took back holding his right hand in a fist "Haruko? The celestial girl that came from a council meeting right?"

"Yusuke Yurimeshi young spirit detective trying to find out what came here?" Her voice was monotone with only a hint of jest "You're out of your league kid this thing won't be any Spirit realm demon. This is another kind one from the outer regions of your own reality. He'll eat you up and spit you out."

"You think so?" Yusuke gives a slight smirk while walking into the room "You don't mind if I see this for myself do you?"

"Not at all." She plucks her guitar and lowers her head "Just don't say I didn't warn you kid."

Yusuke looks over Naota laying there and sighs to the kid so injured. Then the sound of some girl kicking a nurse and running in makes Yusuke pull back "Whoa! What the hell!"

The girl has green lime hair with pink eyes and freckles. In a pink dress and pants she clasps her hands with tears in her eyes. The hair was in two tails to the side but when she looks up at Yusuke she asks with such concern "Is he okay?"

"Uh sure kid what's your name?"

"My name is Sasami I had a dream that Naota was out and someone hit him. Then this thing," Her eyes closed seeing the hooded figure over Naota "It came out of his head and… when I saw the news I had to come here."

Two large wooden things float in making Hiei step out of the way as Kuwabara started knocking on the one with a red symbol. The other one with a blue symbol says "Please don't do that it's annoying."

"Yes, it really can be."

"Ah! These logs can talk!"

"We are not logs we are the Juraian Guardians honored with the task of protecting the heirs of planet Jurai. Lady Sasami left and so we decided to follow her."

"Not before telling lady Ayeka of her leaving."

Sasami turns and nods "Thank you I'm fine though. Ryo-ohki brought me here without a problem!" a small rabbit cat creature pops from her backpack "I can't tell you enough how much I appreciated your help."

"Meow." The creature sniffs and Sasami offers a carrot which it lovingly begins munching. The young woman walking in has purple hair and eyes her scream makes Sasami leap at attention. This girl has a similar outfit but more respectable "I can't believe my own sister would just run and leave me like that! Who do you think you are?"

"I'm sorry Ayeka I just had another of those dreams and…" Ayeka is bumped out of the way by a girl with green spiked hair and a strong stance, her outfit black with a red collar to the bottom she has a tail that wags to her back like a primate "Gee calm down or you're going to have wrinkles."

"Wrinkles! What do you mean wrinkles? Who do you think you are Ryouko talking to me about wrinkles?"

"Whatever." Ryouko now has another girl, Sasami's height and look as age but her outfit a scientific space suit with her long pink hair matching her eyes. She instantly went for Naota and opens a strange machine. The machine begins scanning over the boy's body and he moves with the wounds healing. His mind sees images, Ninamori falling on the water, Little Slugger skidding to a halt, Haruko screaming on her cycle, and… the hooded monster ripping from his head "Ah!"

The spring up caused alarm but this scientific genius smiles saying "Looks like the genius of Washu has done it again!"

A small robot on her left shoulder looking like her but a puppet says "Yes well done Washu!" A second one was on the other shoulder "You're spectacular Washu!"

"Sure am now let's see what…" She is pushed out of the way "Ah!" Sasami grips her arms around Naota hard clasping him she asks "Are you okay? I thought you were really hurt!"

Naota looks to the girl and it hits him "PrettySammy?"

"Pretty Sammy?" Ayeka was confused but Ryouko smiles "Looks like this is the new Tenci on the block."

Haruko was holding onto the doorframe "Naota! You're okay!" She runs in screaming in laughter before hopping onto the opposite side of the bed "Hey how about we blow this pop stand? You and me kid we'll venture the cosmos forever and a day!"

"No way!" Sasami holds the confused Naota "You leave him alone Haruko I know this was something you caused!"

"Excuse me kid?"

The groups started getting into arguments all around when Ryouko asks Hiei "Do you see that outside?"

Hiei nods "There is something in that tree. Should we go see what it is?"

She smiles as she disappears "You read my mind little man."

Hiei glares a smirk "It's not size that counts." He disappears soon after. Outside in the tree the leaves move but a transparent figure shifts in the limbs. Ryouko stands with Hiei soon after, "Hey you! What are you doing here?"

The creature in the tree ignores but Hiei snaps "She asked a question who you are and what are you doing here?"

"I am here," The thing speaks in a strange hiss before standing in the tree and leaping down to turn visible. It was a man to a degree with black gauze over their face letting sharp reptile fangs and eyes see through in a leer. The black outfit has green V vest and sash with golden trim. The bare arms were muscular and scaly and his tongue swishes out over the fangs smiling again. "To see if the celestial takes my master's warning and leaves while she can. If not I am to report to him about her staying."

The monster turns back finding a man with a brown shirt and black jeans, hair short with a slight tail to the back he holds a hilt up with red jewels and a wooden form, "You need to leave right now."

"Tenchi don't worry we have this!"

"You have nothing!" It tossed a ball covering itself in smoke now the invisible monster scrambles on the first two. Ryouko swung to have a hand strike her chest and dug claws in her abs. The hand had sharp claws that twisted before pulling out and kicking her back. Hiei swung his sword but the monster ducked and pulls their head back. It fired spit into the shorter fighter who raised his arm to block. The spit began sizzling and Hiei screams as his coat was burning from acid. Tearing it off his muscular form catches Ryouko by surprise 'Such a short guy sure is built.' She has an arm around her neck pulling her up, than over its head the monster screams holding her than tossing her. The space pirate Ryouko stops in the air and turns creating balls of energy that she flung making them explode. The monster leaps over them to the tree, he creates strange orbs that he swings but they did not explode but made shockwaves that flung the pirate to the ground and Hiei lost his stance from the span the waves covered. Turning on Tenchi the monster screams and charges. Tenchi held the hilt up and narrows his eyes to the dirt shifting in the steps. The hilt glows a faint power and the monster made a slash only to have an energy blade cut their hand off. The monster looses their cloaked state falling to the ground and rolling. The monster was now being surrounded by all the heroes who went to see what the noise was. The two log guardians went to the sides of the monster charging bolts that held him into the air.

"Who are you?" Ayeka snaps with her eyes angry to the fact Tenchi were attacked. The sight of Ryouko now makes her twice as mad when she hugs Tenchi telling him how great he was.

"My name is Reptile. I am a loyal minion of Shao Khan and have become an ally of his new friend."

"Who is this friend?" Yusuke asks with his hand up charging a blue light on his finger tip.

"I will not tell you boy."

The ball fires but Reptile smiles on. His arm heals quickly a new limb and so he looks over and smiles asking "Tell you what. Why don't you ask my partner?"

The sound of a whip was heard and none of the heroes were able to stop the strange harpoon that struck the blue log being "Azaka!" The blue log drops to the ground as Reptile is freed. Dropping her runs over and grabs Ayeka holding her now he bares his fangs with a wider mouth "If you make one move I don't like I'll eat this girl's head clean off!"

"Ayeka!" Tenchi steps down but Reptile latches his fangs onto her head making a moan of pain and several streams of blood. A yellow ninja leaps from the hospital with black vest and sash. His face had a face guard with a grim design and white soulless eyes narrow on the villain Reptile. Reptile grins his lips with the fangs still digging but when he was so close the sound of a guitar being plucked makes Reptile turn and be slammed over the head dazing him. Haruko turns to the yellow ninja who stood with his arms at his sides shaking "You're one of his guys aren't you?"

The yellow ninja does not speak he just glares more angrily. Haruko gave a slight grin before holding her guitar in a tight grip "I owe him for what he has done to Naota. Since I don't know where he is I'll go ahead and have your head instead!"

Haruko was going to attack but the yellow ninja pulls three steel balls from his belt, one crimson, another was gold, and another was silver. Tossing the orbs they began to make sounds as they were in the air and landing again they now showed metal ninjas with blackened straps at the back of their skull like heads. Reptile was now starting to get up and seeing the three robots matching their orb colors he asks "What are Sektor, Cyrax, and Smoke doing on-line so soon?"

The yellow ninja does not answer, "Scorpion! I wish to know why you initialized these drones so soon!" The yellow ninja Scorpion now clasps his fist at Reptile's face making the scaled ninja clasp his jaw shut in a gulp. Scorpion swung the fist out and the three drones begin to attack. The gray ninja drone Smoke let vents over his body cloud the area in smoke. With visibility gone it should have became equal but the three drones could see in the smoke. Smoke kept creating more cover as the gold and red drones Cyrax and Sektor began attacking the heroes in the darkness. Yusuke tries to pin his spirit gun on the drones but he couldn't get anything. Stopping he tries to use his training, but since these machines had no spirit energy he couldn't very well find them. Kurama had a spark of genius and grabs a rose. The rose turns to a large vine whip which he spun around his head creating a large wind that now removes the smoke allowing heroes to see. Yusuke looks back and finds the golden robot about to punch him so he spins and screams "Spirit Gun"

The blast would have hit but Cyrax sets off his boosters to go over the blast. Landing it turns to Smoke who just shook their head. Cyrax stands up and opens their chest to unleash a green net. Yusuke rolls to dodge, the net comes in on Ryouko so she teleports away. The tree is wrapped in the net and begins to dissolve leaving Sektor to turn on his two partners and than to the heroes. His chest opens and three missiles flew out singling out Kuwabara. Kuwabara screams running away. "Why are they following me?" The missiles did follow him so Hiei screams "You idiot their heat seeking! You need something hotter than you." He smirks "Which with your face should…"

"Ah shut up! This is serious!" Kuwabara flails about with the three missiles closing. He thinks and charging his hands he creates a sword of energy that he makes into a javelin "Spirit Javelin Vault!" The javelin is plunged into the ground and letting Kuwabara spring off the sword stayed and drawn the missiles. The explosion caused several to turn away but when it ended Kuwabara was stuck in a tree, "Hey! Get me out of here!"

Scorpion watches as they began getting him out. His soulless eyes scanned each fighter in the fight and those who stood at the ready. The drones drew back to go again but an unknown figure leaps off the hospital and slashes Cyrax several times before leaping back. Cyrax sparks all over and falls to pieces on the ground. The figure was a ninja of blue clothing with head covering and one scar with his other eye. Scorpion was glaring with hate as his hands began to burn but it soon was clear it was not the ninja he thought it was. Two women soon followed off the roof, "Ryu Hayabasu! What on earth do you think you're doing?"

Ryu was not worried on these two at the moment it was the other ninja. Scorpion also had a similar analyzing stare but he turns away to open a strange swirling portal. His head motions to the portal and Sektor with Smoke leave. Reptile was going to argue but Scorpion quickly gives a stare of aggression so he moves along. Scorpion moves to the portal but turns back around. "_Suckers!"_ he disappears leaving Ryu to sheath his sword "He is unbelievably powerful who or what was he?"

Ryu looks to the woman with a purple female ninja outfit her hair was light lavender while eyes were amethyst in color. She was enchanting as was the other girl with a blue outfit and hair brown in a ponytail. Snapping the two ask "What were you thinking?"

"I had to see what that ninja was. He was nothing near human that's for sure."

The girl with purple sighs "Kasumi I believe your reckless nature has caught up with Ryu."

Kasumi blinks before turning on the other girl "Don't you dare Ayane! It is probably your search for challengers that caused this mess."

Ryu takes no heed of their arguing but he did notice the others here "What is going on?"

Haruko jumps on her vespa "Naota are you sure you won't come with me?"

Naota was looking at her but nods "I am staying Haruko my family will need me." He grabs Canti and tugs him with him "We need to get home."

"I will too then." Haruko smiles as she slowly comes to their side "I don't need to leave you here to get this on without my help."

Yusuke runs over screaming "I need to know what is going on right now! Crazy ninjas, super girls on bikes, even some robots and crazier flying monkey girls with log warrior guards I want to know what is happening?"

Haruko looks on Yusuke who was in her way "You really want to know?"

"Um let me think… YES!"

"Okay, a war unlike anything you ever saw is coming. You see a demon from a whole other dimension just got the okay to rip your world a new one however he chooses if he got in. He's in now and basically he can do whatever he wants to your little unprepared world."

"Demons do that kind of stuff all the time I'll tell Koenma and he'll figure out what to do."

"Oh really well when you see baby-face tell him that demon he's looking for is called," She looks up with Naota jumping on her bike "Akaige."

Hiei and Kurama share similar looks. Washu was startled as was Ryu who seemed to begin leaving. "I'll tell him that, see you around unless I'm lucky."

Yusuke was figuring this was the end as the Tenchi group followed a worried Washu through her temporal portal to the lab. Yusuke noticed the way Hiei and Kurama were looking at him "What's the deal guys?"

"Akaige is not a demon we know personally but legends have circulated he is very dangerous."

"In other words expect Koenma to really start crying when you tell him about this one."

"Uh guys," Kuwabara screams to the three on the ground "Get me down from here!"

* * *

Sitting at his new desk Magnus or Magneto was looking on the X-men and Brotherhood now brought together. Scarlet Witch and Toad were known as members of the Brotherhood along with Sabretooth. The others were also known but this had been a strange change for them. First was Quicksilver the son of Magnus who didn't catch any of this at all. He had gray hair and an outfit similar in color. The next is Avalanche a young man with short unkempt brown hair and a black with brown outfit as well as a translucent dome over his head to intensify his powers. The Blob was a large boy with a blonde Mohawk with torn T shirt, jeans, and jacket. The other members were new members Pyro was a fire mutant with strange orange and red suits decaled in flame shapes. Gambit was a red eyed mutant with short brown hair matching his long brown coat and black gloves with fingerless ends, his hands flicked many cards with tricks as he stood against the wall giving a smile to Rogue who tried her best not to look at him too much. The other and last of the new mutants was Colossus a large man in yellow with a red V strip over his chest he stood with black pressed hair and a muscular form. His skin is said to change to a metal form but no one knew what he looks like yet. There is another mutant; she is the mistress of their group in a tight white outfit trimmed at the waist with a belt of skulls. Her red hair falls to the sides shortly with her blue skin and golden eyes viewing over her former enemies turned allies. The X-men were in the office as things were being discussed. After an assembly the students of the X-mansion were anything but happy they now had the Brotherhood in the mansion. Magneto was positive the time would be very dangerous for them all "I know it may seem odd but I believe we should have the students as before and have Brotherhood members sleep in the same rooms." 

"That won't excite any wishes to bring us together."

"I know Storm but if the students are still weary I don't want to put more kenneling to the flame. Two groups in the boys, while the female members will share another room."

Mystique turns her head up as she grabs her face "You mean I'm sharing a room with those two?" She smiles over to Scarlet Witch and Blink "No offense but I prefer my privacy."

Magneto took no mind to it. "In the first boy room Toad, Avalanche, Quicksilver, and Blob will be housed. The second room will house Gambit, Pyro, and Colossus. I will remain here for the night learning how to maintain the mansion and matters of the sort all of you please feel free to see me if you have any concerns." Mystique opens her mouth but is cut off "The rooming is final and will not be changed until after the initial transition." She now growls storming off to her room. Magneto sighs and drops his head when the others have left "This will be very unusual. I hope I do not fail you my friend."

Logan or Wolverine pops in "I think that'll never happen Magnus after all you still hold him in regard so I think as long as you remember Charles you'll understand what the X-men are about."

"Yes thank you Logan. You should get some rest," Magnus yawns laying his head down on the desk "I may take a nap before I research the mansion's funding."

* * *

Sabretooth was not unpacking he has a bed and well… that's it. Lying on the comfy bed they gave him he hears knocking. Opening the door the blue skinned Mystique pushes through and looks at the room "Like always you leave things to be desired." 

"Whatever, this is just fine for me."

"It is for you." She gives a slight smile "Creed, how long has it been since we were together."

"Five seconds ago."

"No, I mean together physically." Creed turns to her a bit confused "I know it's been a while but the idea being in that room with those girls, the X-men, it's too much I need to let off some stress and what better way than…" She is pushed out the door and turns back kicking the hinges "You ass! I don't need you!" Turning she tries to find another more suitable stress release.

* * *

Rogue sat in the library to read some books now with her powers she felt even more unusual. "Hello sherry a beautiful night no?" 

Rogue notices the Cajun Gambit looking at her with a smile. He streams cards between his hands so she turns to the book again. "Yeah it's alright."

"It certainly is. A full moon, a moon of love in some parts."

"You say so." She flips a page and Gambit has a slight frown before getting into this conversation a new. "I see you are an avid reader what are you reading?"

"The Chronicles of Superman I wanted to learn more about him since I absorbed his powers partially."

"Really? That is amazing how did you take his powers?"

"He gave them to me. Whenever I touch someone with my bare skin I absorb a part of them and their powers."

"Woo-wee! That sounds like a hell of a power. Must be taxing though not able to touch people." Her face became sad, "You don't know the half of it."

"Well maybe it just takes a man who can live through nearly anything? Maybe a man who's strong, energetic and can spare a life or two for a chance to kiss fair ladies…"

Rogue stood up and floats over putting the book on the top shelf. She lands and asks "Are you trying to charm me Gambit?"

"Don't know," He leaps off the chair and lands to her front "Is it working?"

Rogue has a slight tint but at the same time she has worry too. "I appreciate the compliments and all but I really need to go."

"I didn't compliment you. Though, if I did I'd tell you how your eyes shined like the water of Louisiana on a warm afternoon beneath the sun with sparkling flourished aura. You hair is a sweet color of youth and knowledge all your own." He was going to grab her chin but she pulls back, "Your lips sherry are an inviting quality that I hope will be invited to taste some day too."

"I…" Rogue takes a couple steps back "I really have to go!" she ran and than flew making Gambit sigh and slump onto a wall. "She's a wonderful woman and going to be worth every second of it."

* * *

Wolverine was in his room trying to set himself in the new occasion but he still has his doubts. There is a knock at the door, opening it he find Storm looking at him with concern "This day has been so hard on us all Logan. Could I come in and talk with you?" 

"Sure thing," He smirks as he was sniffing the air "Just do me the favor of not sullying Storm's reputation Mystique."

Mystique morphs to her form as she now wore her black outfit, a black skirt and top with matching boots "Gee we have a nice nose on our face don't we?" She strolls in pressing her fingers on his chest while trailing by she whispers seductively "That's not the only nice parts about you I'll bet."

"You'd like to know wouldn't you?" Logan closes his door but has his arms crossed "I'm not interested in being some kind of play thing Mystique so get on your way."

Mystique was alarmed, well she pretended "Why whatever do you mean?"

"I know you so what is it?"

"Why I merely was looking for some companionship and since you don't want me or Storm, perhaps I should find someone else." The door opens and Mystique was tossed on her bottom. Turning up she finds the door slamming and turning to her normal self she snaps "You too? What does a girl have to do to get laid now a day?"

* * *

Rorek and Dante went through several books as they researched the old records. Dante tosses the last book screaming "Why can't we just shoot this thing and be done with it?" 

"Patience Dante. We will fight when the Enclave feels it is time."

"By then the guy will be old and gray, as will we!"

"You will but I won't. I am the undead spirit of Rorek so I can never grow old nor die. I love being a soul entity."

"Yeah well…" Dante turns to see the door opening. Whitepelt holds a newspaper "This will be your new assignment."

* * *

The tomb is shattered away from a massive shockwave. Raven stood with her haggard breathing feet away from Akaige who does the same. This battle was taking all they had. Raven finds herself using many of the spells she learned but she has many more on her belt. The question now was where does that leave Akaige? He has knowledge of magic and as she used hers he used his, even without incantation he used spells. While she thought Akaige acted, he launched out to use sparse attacks which she barely dodged. One kick struck her jaw but only made her tumble, screaming she kicks him back and connects full on his chin so he tumbles down and rolls down a mountain of debris. Akaige landed on the bottom and scrambled up to only be flight punched side to side. 

On the offensive, Akaige screams with his claw reaching under her punch and grabbing her throat. Holding her there in a stronger clasp Akaige pulls her up in the air, no longer able to control her flight he swings her down in a choke slam so hard it made the stone ground crack and snap from her back out. Raven grabs her back trying to push up but the grab on her head now only hinted to Akaige twirling her and than tossing her again. When Raven got up with her injuries she blocks a running kick, but she missed the punch to her eye. Raven stumbles back and was finding herself in serious injury so she flew into the air to dodge Akaige and as he was passing she drops and kicks his leg to slow him down while she made some distance.

Raven stops and holds her hands down, than moves them as a blur all around her body to allow the hands to stop to her front touching indexes and thumbs while the others are spread apart. Her fingers let a light roll off her tips into a ball between the gap of her indexes and thumbs. The ball grew larger as a pale blue orb that Akaige was watching with his claw out. The claw forged a red deep crimson like orb somewhat mimicking as his three claws dripped the energy like a liquid into a larger mass. The two leave out roars of rage, the orbs became blasts of power which did not meet but rather passed each other striking their opponents. Both Raven and Akaige went into opposite directions skidding and swirling over the ground.

Raven slams on her chest to the end and tries to get up. Her one eye is not swollen as the other had become that way from the force of impact. She sees nothing of Akaige; he may not be gone so she tries to rise up. Then her arms shook, she cringes as they began to twain and finally her good eye closed while she wants to only blink. Her body fell and mind began to scream for her but the body would not listen. Akaige was lying a moment before he stirs. Pushing up off his arms he shows a large hole in his side where his body had been injured. The hole was a gap where his ribs would be and the spot the beam destroyed. Standing tall he glares angrily before walking towards the unconscious Raven.

* * *

Cyclops had his nights but this certainly tops them all. Having the Brotherhood in the mansion hit him harder than any other kind of evil threat from anywhere. The sound of knocking and he sighs before opening his door "Jean?" 

"Scott, I need someone to talk to." He nods and she walks in with her eyes flashing gold "I knew I could count on you."

"Well sure Jean I'd do anything for you."

"I know. I feel that way too Scott and tonight after our fight I feel more like that than ever before." Jean walks over and rubs her chest into Scott, he turns slightly red but laying her head on his chest she whispers "Scott, I need you to take me. I want to know if anything happens I can die knowing I loved you in every way there is."

"Wh… What are you talking about?" If not obvious enough Jean grabs Cyclops and twirls him onto the bed. He watches her slowly pull off her top, showing the black bra underneath she moves to the lower part of her outfit. He has fully lost it; his mind was buzzing "I'm still in my uniform."

"Than take it off. I already did mine." She cradles him under her and pulls off his shirt a little. He gulps and begins unbuckling his belt and popping off his boots. The shock was not really her doing this but when the two actually were doing, well, it! He couldn't believe Jean; the shy psychic was actually letting him have her. He was kissing her naked form, gyrating into her legs with his force, and then locking with her golden eyes. 'Wait, what was…?' Scott pulls back and sees her skin was not peach but now blue. Both breathing heavily Scott screams "Mystique?"

"Yes? Oh I guess it wore off. I had trouble keeping my mind on the form of my body compared to your own." She places a hand on his chest "I admit that's not bad for a kid."

"You're not supposed to, I mean, what the hell is?"

"You want to stop?" Mystique pulls out and grins as he seems stunned "You want to continue right? I can see you want to keep going now that you know what it feels like. It was pre…" she is caught off guard from him pinning her and beginning his movements once more. Her pants and moans only excited him more to go faster and harder, not even thinking of Jean he just lets loose. He had nothing more than the pleasure and ecstasy of the act his mind seems to have lost itself in all that there was to be had.

* * *

With his long arms stretching over to the ceiling Mr. Fantastic hustles along with his wife to finish the device. It was a large machine connected through out the tower now. On the ground moving large metal crates an orange stone man with blue pants grumbles "Why do we have to move all these lousy crates around? I mean we never had a problem with room before." 

A man of flames lands to turn to a handsome young man with blue eyes and blonde hair in a blue uniform similar to the other members "Don't ask me it's just something that needs to be done."

"Whatever torch I just thing this is a little unusual."

A young boy is heard screaming. Invisible Woman drops something she was moving with her powers and runs to the room. Inside she found the young boy shivering in tears "Franklin what's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Mommy, I had another dream."

"That's okay honey dreams are normal." She was going to leave but he screams "Mommy it was the special kind of dreams!"

Reed Richards wanted to see what was happening but he had to finish. The Thing was surprised, "Geez Rich these things can wait your kid needs ya."

"No Ben they can't. Please get back to work this is really important." He moves another device and has a slight feeling of disgust "The whole matter is just so…"

"Reed!" Susan runs out holding the young child "Franklin has had a dream. He wants you to call Iron Man."

Reed was confused "Susan why does he need to speak to Iron Man?"

She gives him a look that instantly tells him why. "Oh god," He lowers to the floor "Than it was true Spiderman was right all along."

The Thing and Human Torch give confused looks to each other "Uh, what did we miss?"

* * *

Spiderman was not sleeping as he tries to make several batches of his webbing. Venom was not in the mood so he walks over and asks "What are you doing?" 

"I'm making webbing. Unlike you I can't just produce more in my body."

"It is because we are strong, and you are a weak specimen."

"Sure it is." Spiderman rolls his eyes and hears a beeping sound. Picking up his communicator he asks "Mr. Fantastic?... Yes I knew it was you you're the only one who has my hotline… What was that?" Spiderman pushes off from his desk "Jump City?... Demons, called Kagejin?..." Venom now was getting antsy "A special gift from Iron Man for me? At your tower? I'll be happy but…" Spiderman nods and hangs up "They said everything should be ready in an hour or less. We could go and help out."

"You go we feel the streets need the strongest one of us to fight."

"…." Spiderman grabs his canisters and gets ready to leave "I'm really starting to hate you."

"Take your Aunt with you we wish her not to be harmed."

"Aw I never knew you cared."

"We don't it is merely the fact she makes food we did not know existed."

"Home cooked meals?"

"Precisely."

* * *

Koenma tossed several papers in the air screaming as a blue ogre tries to calm him down. Yusuke was outside in the halls kind of surprised "He sure seems upset." 

"He has plenty of right." Hiei gave a side glance at the other seat "The Kagejin are not something we are really ready for. If you know anything about these demons you would have a sensible knowledge on how not to mess with this situation."

"Right," Yusuke gives a thumbs up to his partners "We'll just take them down like we always do."

"It is truly not that simple Yusuke." Kurama looks to the young detective and frowns "When the Kagejin are involved all bets are off. I never met any of them but it certainly would seem if someone like Koenma was worried we should be as well."

"Koenma always gets in a tiff guys and Yurimeshi is right. We go, see, and kick evil demon butt."

The sound of the doors opening and Koenma floating out with his hands on his tailbone makes all the heroes stand up. "I can see you have so little understanding of what is going on. Allow me to explain…" Koenma screams in tears "This is the end of life as we know it!"

"Settle down Koenma how bad can it really be?"

"For the record it can be as bad as you can imagine but ten times worse! This is a fierce demon lord who has an entire empire of evil demon minions. If we don't take this seriously we may be in trouble!"

"So can I get back I need to get some schooling in?"

"Oh man he's right Yurimeshi! This is the end of the world you want to go to school!" The four begin laughing but Koenma snaps "Listen you idiots!" they quite down and he lets out a sigh of relief "I have a new mission for you. I want you all to return to earth and hold off in Japan. If things are going to go badly chances are we'll need all the help we can get. For that I want my detective and his team on earth for the whole thing."

Yusuke nods and they try leaving but Boutan floats over "Yusuke!" She stops him and he asks "What is it now Boutan?"

Boutan looks at the four and her eyes water "I… I want you all to know I appreciate everything you've done. I hope you all a safe return."

She leaves them all baffled. "You know what guys I'm really getting a bad feeling about this all of a sudden."

* * *

Washu was with a large computer and showing things of all sorts of realities she gives a large description as the others sat at school desks "As you can see we have many different realities of ourselves. Sometimes you have the honor of knowing me, sometimes you don't, and sometimes Tenchi is a homosexual." 

"What! Washu I'm not a…" She turns about in exclamation "That's the point Tenchi my dear! These realities are alternate ones where anything could happen. Case in point, this one was where Tenchi and company fought a Kagato who wanted to be royal of Jurai. We fought a Kagato who was once my apprentice in the sciences. The similarities and differences all mainly follow the line we meet Tenchi and than we all get some strange turn of events."

Ryouko grins evilly and readies to spit a ball of paper but she is countered from Ayeka. "You say that this is somehow related to the events of recent Washu-chan?"

"I sure do!" Washu snaps her fingers and a new screen appears "When we look at the entirety of it our entire world is no different than any of the others in other realities. Humans, animals, and even aliens like our own world. Than again," Washu snaps her fingers and the group looks onto an earth which seems like it was dead, "There is the occasional death session."

"Death session?" Ryouko looks with her eyes worried as the earth became larger. Scenes of monsters roaming the dirt and ripping into humans began to play out. One such beast was a large creature of four insect like legs that step onto their enemies without care. It has an onion like head that opens up at the top to allow two smaller creatures to leap in. The creature's eyes were golden lids where the monsters look out and order it to move. The back of it's head has two mouths that opened like a leech sucking in air and spitting it out letting only the unused energy in the air to be gathered through lungs inside the monster's head. The head has a long protruding snout that looked like a giant dead tree limb, straight and hollow it was in the center bottom of the two golden eyes. The monsters inside tug on some strange fleshy controls and the nose fires with the contracting of its lungs strange blue plasma that crashes and explodes on impact. More monsters such as these covered the terrain; these strange animal tanks were only a vehicle type of creature. "What the hell are those things?"

"They're called Tankugu. Their nose is similar to Japanese tales of demons called the Tugu. Those were tree spirits and these guys aren't even spirits. They're a type of demon," Washu narrows her eyes on the hooded demon riding on a large winged serpent through the air. His one right claw pulls back and the serpent glides to the ground "They're called the Kagejin. That fellow over there is Akaige."

Sasami looks at the hooded demon stunned, "I… I dreamt about him."

Ayeka looks at her sister "That is the same demon that was mentioned before. Is he so dangerous Washu?"

"He sure is. I bet things are going to get really fun around here. You all take and get some rest or something because before things get any better they sure as hell will get worse."

Tenchi was not following with the others as he walked to the screen to get a better look. The hooded demon was watching over the others now charging on a fortification trying to break the walls and raise ladders to go over them. Tenchi watched the hooded monster until they turned abruptly making him jump in a startle. Washu chuckles and Tenchi begins blushing "It's a recording Tenchi he can't see us. This took some doing but I found this from my old archives these guys really interested me. Seems it was a good thing too."

"Was that one of the worlds we were in?" She turns away a little saddened "If I'm right the reason we're not there anymore is because…"

"It happens a lot. You can't worry over that we have our own lives here and now to worry over."

* * *

Scarlet Witch leaves to find food; she bumps into Rogue and the other teens eating at his table in the kitchen. She sees Nightcrawler teleporting and twisting his tail on the salt. One teen boy, the youngest of their school tries to get something and salt but it pours on his food. He sighs and turns into many versions of himself launching at Nightcrawler who pleads it was someone else. Wanda is confused, "They all seem so happy." The many teens are laughing and playing as this happens. 

"Yeah it is confusing. I remember when I came here it was weird. The place isn't like the Brotherhood it's more like a family." Wanda just shrugs it meant nothing to her family. "We try to help each other, we love each other, and yes we even bug each other. The way it works if you need us we will be there. Love is important even if we don't quite understand. It's not physical it's spiritual and somehow it's a love purer than the other kinds. This may sound corny, but we are there and as a family we share the good and the bad."

Wanda looks at Rogue and than the others laughing even Nightcrawler with the younger student "It is strange but…" She smiles, "I think I understand Rogue."

* * *

The sound of rubble falling on rubble causes a slight twitch on the pale sorceress. She opened her enchanting eyes to see the stone ceiling falling as smaller bits. Jolting up she looks around, she fell unconscious! Raven turns to the noise of low chanting and sitting his legs crossed was Akaige meditating in some way. His wound was not healed it still leaks the mist of his inner self. "Why…" Raven stood up with her eyes shaking "It's a sick game to you isn't it? You're just toying with me all this time." 

"_Did you ever doubt it?"_

Raven grabs her hands with Akaige's pushing off on them both "I won't let you get away with this anymore!"

The two push off digging heels on the ground. In a moment Raven feels her arms faltering and a large surge of energy sends her spiraling back. Bouncing off a wall and twisting on the ground she barely hears the flapping of wings. Akaige plows his feet down into her stomach making Raven scream as his claw latches to her face. "_This is pathetic. I thought you were going to be so powerful little Raven. Than again seeing as how easy Dr. Fate fell why did I expect more from you?"_ Raven gives a hateful glare from her eyes under the claw "_Fate was weak, but in truth Malchior seemed a bit more pathetic. A demon like him giving to the pathetic nature of one's heart for a filthy little half blood, can you even begin to imagine how disappointing this all is for me?"_

Akaige launches Raven across the room again but she stops half way to twirl in the air and turn on Akaige. "You stop saying things like that about them! Their a million times greater than you will ever be!"

"_You have to be kidding! I was able to extinguish their pathetic lives without any real effort! They were weak, almost as weak as you!" _Akaige charges his hand and tosses a ball of energy but it fizzles out near Raven. Her arms flexing with fists clenched the aura around her was glowing lighter. When her clothes turned to a white form she looked on Akaige with such hate. 'I was scared with all the power they gave me that when I used all of my soul with it maybe I'd put too many in danger. Now I can see with a monster like this, all bets are off.' Raven flung out her arms and her aura becomes a swirling flame that releases many small bird raven soul selves out on her enemy. The power began to strike after Akaige as her power was fully freed.

Akaige chuckles as his cape fell around him. His shadowy form under the cape let small tendrils seem to stretch out, but the tendrils hissed and bore fangs like thousands of snakes. The snake shadows soon wind off meeting Raven's soul birds absorbing them and disappearing in each one they hit. Raven was looking in disgust, why won't he just die? Then she feels her mind scanning ideas and only one remained. She uses all her power to create a large collection of the ravens in her chest making them flutter together in a flock. The serpents hiss as a collective tide making on the ravens they hiss with their charge. The many soul beings meet in the center and it seems like there was nothing left, but two large white wings open out and one large raven was coming out of the masses. Akaige was wide eyed seeing this one, "_Sneaky little…"_

There is an explosion that soon causes the ground to shake. The heroes outside the tomb were alarmed as the entire tomb was soon gone in the explosion. When it cleared Raven stood with her shields up seeing the now large crater with more debris falling on the dirt. She levitates to the ground sweating and panting before her legs give out on her. The others come seeing her now looking over the landscape. There seems to be nothing left, even Akaige could not have survived that. Raven notices something in the distance, his claw was lying on the dirt but debris falls onto it. She cringes with her raised hand but using all her power in that large flock of her soul she even had taxed herself. Falling over the power in her hand dissipated and Raven was unconscious again. Robin skids to her side while Cyborg did a scan "Nothing living except her and us. I think she actually did it guys!"

"Was there a doubt?" The changeling was pushed from Starfire "Friend Raven is uninjured is she not?"

"She's injured but still alive. We need her to get medical attention now!"

Lantern floats down looking at Raven than the area "She's incredible. So the whole thing is over?"

Robin looks at Lantern "I think can we get some help at the Watch Tower for her?"

Lantern was not too sure but his friend J'onn grabs his shoulder "It is our honor to have her there. Besides, we must prepare the tower for Superman's…"

There is a moment of silence and all begin taking their memories of those lost with them. The crater is void of life and only the sound of rubble shifting from the falling debris. As ships were leaving to the Watch Tower one thing of rubble is shifted, and from it something seems to leap and latch onto the landing gears with a hiss. The ship leaves to the tower like the others but Mento looks to his machines "What is this? The ship seems a little overweight."

They turn to Spawn, Slade, and Rose. "Hey, we're not that much heavier are we?"

"No…" Mento looks at the machines and flips the switches to bypass the scanners.

* * *

The mansion of the X-men it sounds so peaceful with the students resting. However, one large monster with his club arm raised out would ruin the peace. "Okay here's the deal. You can rip into any of these mutants just leave Magneto to me!" 

A man in all black steps forward with a black coat and long brim hat, his bottom face was hidden in a gray scarf "Okay hot-stuff just cool off. I don't really care who I get to kill as long as you leave some for me."

A large bodied beast which was a head for his body, and four little arms with guns, hammers, and axes waddles over with a long tongue. The creature has two horns and fangs with his red eyes leering, one eye was dead and now white he seems to smell something, "Haw! Haw! Haw! Haw! If it isn't my dear little Fergi. I can smell her in that place."

Holocaust was not worried over his reasons but more his own. The first ball of fire struck and causes devastation when an explosion occurs. Holocaust jumps back "Oops, hit something explosive."

"So much for the element of surprise eh boss."

"Just shut up and storm the freaking place!"

The three run with Holocaust smashing the front gates. The defenses begin shooting but Holocaust is not affected, the four armed mutant Sugar Man had small shields of energy he used to block the attacks. Dead Man leapt and dashes with a strange katana sword making all attacks useless on his dark form.

Inside the mansion students were waking up and trying to stop the flames from spreading. One student was Bobby Drake, a young boy who was now covered in ice putting the flames out but they seemed to return each time. "Okay guys I think this might be some super flames!"

"Super flames?" Another boy with blonde hair and orange bangs going up was skeptical. Known as Berzerker he now tries to grab a fire extinguisher. Using the extinguisher he looses it as the flames swirl on and take it from his hands. "Okay, maybe there is something in that super flames deal."

The wall comes crumbling in and standing there was Sugar Man. He turns to the side and glares his one red eye as the other was dead "Kids today, don't you know you play with fire you're going to get burned!" His laugh echoes the halls while he pulls up four Uzis and begins firing on the two students. Iceman as he was called created a large ice shield to block the hallway but it was later than he expected. He notices Berzerker hunched over and runs to see what has happened "Oh man! You've been shot!"

"Go! I think I'm fine." He stands up showing several wounds in his stomach. "You need to warn the others we're under attack." The ice begins cracking with loud slamming sounds. Iceman was not leaving so Berzerker pushes him and charges his hands with electricity "Go I have this."

Iceman leaves to the other doors knocking and screaming for them to get up and run. The ice wall crashes down and Sugar Man looks on the electrical blast before it hits him. Berzerker was smiling but a flash of shadow and he twitches before falling over with a spray of blood. Dead Man stood at the boy's back and wipes his blade on his long coat "This is not too bad. Are you going to get up or what Sugar Man?"

"I was resting! So where's Holocaust?"

"He went to the other side of this shit hole. You and I can do whatever we want now."

"Don't forget to leave Magneto for him."

Dead Man turns to students leaving their rooms he pulls out some rifles and begins shooting them down like dogs "Whatever it seems we have more than enough to play with!"

Sugar Man smiles a fang like grin as he starts to fire his uzi's "We sure do, Haw! Haw! Haw! Haw!"

* * *

Another boy drops and he was dead, a girl was going to help but a small teen grabs her and pulls her behind a wall "Let me go Multi I have to help." 

Multiple is the youngest and narrows his eyes "Do you think you're not going to get hurt! Sunspot is already…"

"No! He's not!"

"He is!" Multi pulls the girl with him down the halls "Don't worry Magma we won't be like that. We need to get to one of the secret exits now!"

Magma was older and somewhat wiser. Having semi long flat hair she was in her pajamas as were most the students. Multiple was youngest of the school, and now he seemed the oldest. She nods saying "Okay, thank you." Multi blushes as he was still the most nervous kid in the world. "Er, no problem."

Another time it would seem a nightmare but the young blonde haired boy flew as if a projectile with energy at his legs. His name was Cannonball, and yes, it was. Holocaust narrows his eyes and was struck hard to be swung out the walls again. Cannonball tries to turn back but doing so Holocaust stood and swung his club to break the boy over the ground. Holocaust watches the boy squirm and smirks before leaping into the mansion again. He is bombarded by strange sparks and small force explosions. "Weak little children. Why do you waste my time?" He raises the club and fires on these mutants absorbing their screaming bodies into his own. Now the others run and Holocaust smiles "Is this what you inherited Magnus? Weak little children who run before true power?"

Blink and Scarlet Witch ran from the inferno now consuming the mansion "What happened?"

"How would I know? This place was a mistake waiting to happen!" The roof caves in and the two are separated, Blink screams "Scarlet? You want me to get you?"

"No! Your powers were used up too much before if you don't find the others and get them out who knows what will happen. Besides, I'm stronger than I look."

Blink nods and screams "I'll see you later Scarlet! Take care until then!"

The two make off and elsewhere Kitty, or Shadow Cat runs through walls screaming of the attack. As odd it may seem she passes and gives the message so others can escape. The next wall she was in the halls and stops to three large unknown figures. They were robotic it seemed, in green armor with long shoulders they have strange guns of a futuristic like look, rifles with unknown powers. Their heads were in armor as the rest of their bodies and with only one red eye to the center of their heads the large eye glows over Shadow Cat "Gene-traitor X-men are to be eliminated under Holocaust's orders!" they raise their guns but never fire as Wolverine screams in his suit. He slashed two, and turning he stabs the head of the third. The other two hold up destroyed weapons before being blasted by an optical blast and gunned down by bullets. Cyclops and Mystique arrive with Scott a shameful look while Mystique seems none different. "We heard the explosions what's happened here?"

"Something has attacked the mansion! I think we're all in some major crap now."

"They said they worked for something called Holocaust."

Cyclops was smacked in memory "Holocaust! That was the mutant with the armor suit."

"Seems he found the mansion and brought along some friends." A soldier was tossed and Jean sees Cyclops "Scott!" She latches onto him and holds him tightly "Oh, I was so worried."

Scott is ashamed more but holds her tightly, "Jean… I…"

"We need the others to know what's going on." Mystique interrupts with her look on Wolverine "How do you suppose we do that?"

"Jean send out a message the mansion is under attack send all survivors to the exits throughout the mansion."

Jean nods and does this sending a mental message to all in the mansion to use any exits. She shows them the map of the mansion, where all the exits are, and than they gather towards the Black-hawk to escape.

The brotherhood members ran as fast as can be when they heard something chasing. Avalanche tried his seismic waves, Blob thrown some furniture, Quicksilver made a fast punch and kick, even Toad tried his goop but it did not stop coming. The teens were in a bind when they smacked into a dead end, Toad literally smacked into it. Quicksilver snaps "This is just great! Now what do we do?"

Holocaust steps forward and Toad looks in hate, "You!" they scream at each other, Holocaust laughs a little before saying "I wish I could see your girlfriend I'd love to carry your head to her in a picnic basket!" Holocaust raises his arm but the one wall crashes in. A large metal man, Colossus was through. Pyro sees the incoming flames and creates his own flame shield to block. It holds, the other members run through to hide with these two but a third, Iceman creates a large ice shield with the fire shield dropping and it takes the whole dead end and part of the two exposed halls. The group runs again, Holocaust screams in a punch but all it does is crack a little ice. "Can't I get a freaking break?"

Iceman turns to Pyro "You're pretty strong toasty!"

"Thanks Ice-cube!" Quicksilver halts the group as they bump into several drones. "Look this really is not helping us!" He runs off and takes their guns. The Blob dives on them and crushes several; the others are smashed by Colossus and others broken from Avalanche's seismic waves. Ice Man sees the fountain outside and he nods "There's an exit under the fountain follow me guys!"

Blink leaps up and plunges down her daggers into two drone's heads. She pulls back as they explode "What are these guys?"

"Infinites Fergi." Blink is in shock and terror as a tongue slowly trails her neck before retracting. She turns and sees the ugly beast Sugar Man smiling at her in a fashion so wrong it had no definition "I can't believe how well you've grown. I mean, look at you! You're good enough to well… eat." He laughs and his tongue goes to swallow her into the fangs but she is no longer a scared girl. She screams and slashes the tongue to make it return again. Blink tries running but the tongue catches her ankle and drags her. Blink tries to toss a dagger but Sugar Man dodges a little to the side opening his mouth wider. It was the roar of a familiar lion like sound that made Sugar Man turn and loose Blink. Sabretooth screams as he lands on the fat monster and begins pounding away. Blink stands up as Sabretooth was tossed off and Sugar Man turns into a small version of himself that squeezes through the cracks of the floor, in a squeaky voice he screams "He won't save you forever kid! I'll eat you and that little cat too!" He shrieks as the foot of Blink tried to stomp him before he escaped. Blink ran to Sabretooth and helps him up he smiles "Kid what would you do without me?"

She blushes "I hope I never find out Mr. Creed." She helps him to the lower levels where the Black Hawk was. Dead Man sees them and he follows until they disappear. Stepping on the floor he hears a sound change, twice than thrice he walks on that spot. Taking his Katana he slices a hole to see the ladder down "Ah, so the plot is thick like my Aunt Gertrude's mustache!"

Holocaust grabs a device and opens a link "Sugar Man! What have you found?"

In his small a squeaky form he beeped "Nothing too interesting."

"Dead Man, what about you?"

"An underground passage seems our friends went down the hole toward their goal."

"Ah," Holocaust turns off the device "Where are you Magneto?"

To answer Magneto stood at the fountain not ready to leave but still looking at it. He sighs as the mansion, Charles's mansion burns under his guidance "I failed miserably my friend."

"No you didn't." Rogue walks next to Magneto her one arm holding the other "I admit it didn't go all that well but most of us escaped alive. That's what matters, right?"

"That is not my reasoning girl. I failed his dreams to keep you safe."

"Was that it? I thought he wanted you to lead the X-men not save them. If you ask me sug', you did an okay job minus the whole burning down our base."

Magneto gave a slight stare "Am I going to hear anything positive?"

Scarlet Witch now steps over "How about I'm actually for once proud to call you my dad?" Magneto was alarmed in that statement alone "After all these years trying to wage a war you took it on yourself to now try and stop one. You did something not as a Realist but as a Dreamer. This X-men thing has hope dad, and now so do you."

Magneto was kind of caught off guard so he simply nods saying "Thank you Wanda."

"We need to get out of here before…" The large shape smashes into the fountain, heat causes steam to rise over his form and Holocaust stares in his hellish way on the three "Too late!"

Holocaust screams with a massive swing of his club to Magnus. Leaping up he swings down in a punch to the still hurt Magneto to make him now scream. More rabid than ever Holocaust releases his arms in long pulled swings each knocking Magneto farther into unconsciousness. Rogue intervened with her new strength plowing both hands into Holocaust. He vaults back digging his bottom into the earth he sits dazed, returning he wonders where all that power came from. Scarlet Witch sees the fountain opening, "Take my dad and go!" Scarlet fires her powers at the monster making him topple while he stood up. "I'll hold him off and meet with you later!"

Rogue screams "Don't be stupid that thing is a monster!"

"I said do it!" She turns to use more power at Holocaust causing him to dig his heels from the attack. The sound of a puff makes Scarlet jump, Nightcrawler sees Rogue and smiles "I was wondering where you… were…" He sees the monster Holocaust and screams "What is he doing here!"

"Causing trouble! Get him out of here will ya?" Nightcrawler nods and teleports to grab Holocaust, he teleports again to take him outside the mansion walls, then teleports to the girls with a thumb up saying "Mission accomplished!"

Scarlet sighs in relief and they all take the elevator to the Black Hawk. There they see Wolverine and Sabretooth fighting some man in black. He is leaping over them tossing strange stars that explode if touched. The two barely can dodge them and land some strikes on his coat but not him. Dead Man leaps over them again and misses with his sword but he strikes with his gun in the other hand on Sabretooth. He screams and falls over, Wolverine turns and checks on him making himself target. Scarlet fires her hands and Dead Man is flung into the wall making sure he was not a problem. Wolverine picks up Sabretooth and heads him to the plane "Let's move! We need to get out of here." Wolverine sees Magneto "He's okay right?"

"Tired is all. We took care of it." They are now all in. Kitty asks "Where's Beast?"

"I received a message earlier he escaped into the sewers with Multi, Magma, Spyke, and I believe little Jubilation Lee."

Iceman sees everyone else on board and frowns "Is this all the others who survived?"

Wolverine frowns readying to take off "Be glad we survived kid." The ship was going to fly but the roof collapses and with a large chain wrapping the nose of the plane it is weighted down. Holding on and dragging to the side was Holocaust; a snarl of rage so hate filled it never could have been human. "He is a persistent son of a…"

Holocaust grunts the tugging until the chain snaps, he sees the melted link and spots Scarlet trotting towards him "Why you little…"

Quicksilver screams "Get your butt back here now! Are you trying to get killed?"

She looks back "I know what I'm doing you guys go ahead!"

Toad leaps over to her side "Are you crazy girl? That thing is one mean son of a gun!"

Wanda gave a smirk "So am I. Besides, I don't like this X-men or Brotherhood thing. The only part I like is my father doing well instead of evil. If he had been an X-man maybe we'd have had a better relationship. Either way, if he dies here its worth nothing they need him and I need him to be there for them unlike he wasn't there for me."

Toad seems confused but he nods "Okay let's show this guy what it means to be a part of the Brotherhood."

"No, let's show him what it means to be part of the X-men!"

The two attack in unison. Holocaust swung his club but Scarlet ducks, Toad pushes off his hands and kicks his feet into Holocaust's exposed gut. Scarlet now stands and fires into his face pushing him towards the hangar doors. Toad uses his tongue, it trips the large brute but he does not fall off the edge. He realizes their plan and rolls into the hangar again. Scarlet fires on his one leg while he tries to stand and he buckles; now she begins on his upper body wanting to topple him out of the hangar but he raises his club as a shield. Toad bounces and tries to whip his tongue but Holocaust grabs it and tugs him out and away toward Scarlet. She jumps the rolling Toad and goes again. Holocaust screams in anger but it was nothing as he feels himself faltering in her approaching blast. She thinks he is finished, he is done. Then his hand feels the ground and he smiles evilly. She stood on him with her full force but the force is silenced in a sickening sound of metal piercing flesh. She screams and the katana from Dead Man digs her gullet. Holocaust kicks her off letting her wound gush on him and the blood boils on his fiery armor. Raising his club he plans to use it as a finisher but a torpedo fast Toad hits him hard in the chest, his upper body so heavy now waddles back and soon the club arm over weights him and he falls out the hangar screaming.

Toad grabs Wanda, running he takes her to the jet. "We need medical attention now!"

Wolverine nods "Blink could you give us a portal to the Watch Tower now!"

The portal is large and takes the jet to the hangar of Watch Tower. Dead Man stands to retrieve his sword; Sugar Man rolls in like a ball before turning to his larger form. His tongue stretches down the cliff and finds the large club arm so it can wrap and pull Holocaust up. His eyes burn in fire so hellishly cruel it seems impossible "Magneto. I'll have my revenge you worthless Gene-traitor."

* * *

The Watch Tower infirmary has Raven lying on a bed with diodes of all kinds watching her stats. Slade was on the opposite walls watching as intently as each titan here. "She certainly made some impressions with her battle. I don't think fighting her or you are in my agenda any longer." 

Robin was not affected by these remarks he ignored Slade and merely watched the machines. Beast boy made some jokes, never really catching home he finally quieted down. Even he felt sad for his friend this tired and fatigued. The scene of Scarlet witch being brought in causes everyone to jump back. She has a large wound in her stomach and everyone was stunned to see her here. Rogue was with her, Pietro and Toad also came. Magneto was in another stretcher with Sabretooth following. Storm too was in a stretcher but only a minor head bump it seems Dead Man hit her as she tried to help Wolverine. He was with her offering comfort while she awoke. Magneto groggily stood and saw his daughter "Wanda!" She was slightly awake and his hand was so tight she smiled "Daddy…" She coughs and blood came forth he was mortified, "You will keep helping them… right?"

"What?"

"The X-men. I wish we had been a family. Like the X-men are families. I would have like that you know. Rogue, she explained it all to me and you know what I think she's the only one I liked so far. She feels special dad, like you she seems to have a unique special power that you share."

"I know my darling Wanda. I'm sorry I was never a good father for…" She grabbed his hand back tightly "Be their father for me. I think maybe they need that now. They need guidance, and yes they need love too."

Her hand became weak and Magneto looks horrified "Scarlet! Wanda! Please don't! I won't be able to forgive myself!"

"I forgive you daddy for before. I want you to forgive yourself so you can help them. Please, don't give up on what Mr. Xavier wanted you to become."

The machines go silent and Magneto holds her hand tightly before cradling her in his arms. Toad is crying too, as was Quicksilver though he tries to hide it. Magneto lets her hand go and sees Quicksilver, his arms wrap around his startled son and he asks "Can you forgive me my son? For all I have done to you and your sister?"

"Uh… sure just let me go." His eyes began to water and both began to cry together. It was sad, the loss of family and yet the gaining of another. Magneto nods and offers his son a moment alone with his sister before leaving to the others. "We must find the X-men and inform them that this will not be the end. We will endure and like any family we will strive to become whole again."

Rogue was there and Magneto lies a hand on her shoulder "What you told my daughter thank you."

"I only explained the X-men work like a family is all."

"It was what Charles dreams of Rogue. That man and mutant kind will be a family. It is in his students the dreams continue and in the hearts of those willing like my daughter it will become a reality."

* * *

The ceremony was now underway for Superman's funeral. It was never really planned this way but… It was like a gathering of sorrow and pain with humans and aliens all present. Heroes and saved fans were in the park of the Watch Tower which only was different from catwalks over the grassy fields. Some stood on catwalks and others stood in the grass making to the coffin to give respects. One figure was not heading to the coffin but rather a tree to the side. Now pulling out a golden mask he lays it down clenching the mask one moment before laying it still. "Did you know him?" The figure turns to the masked youth Robin "The deceased I mean." 

"I know a few people." The figure goes to leave but Robin follows. His aura felt like he must follow, that there was pain and misery all within him. Robin felt this feeling in himself as well but somehow he did not figure it was the man maybe the funeral. "Was he one of them?"

"Perhaps…" The figure turned a moment to answer and began his walk to leave. Robin tries to plead out to this soul and so he says "You should stay for the ceremony it will do you some good."

The figure turns "As the coffin is shut and the ceremony begins, I need not stay for the festivities. I like the funerals message but all else is not my appreciation. I came for what I have and that is all."

"Please I'll stay with you and maybe…" The figure turns and Robin feels hatred, malice, and so many emotions he falters back on the tree holding himself up. It was so fierce and strong he had not a moment to defend. "Thank you but I'm fine… really."

The figure turns now to the onlookers of the ceremony their pain seems to call to him. 'Yet none shed a tear for Akaige. Than again neither would I.' The mysterious figure leaves but in his moment of projection a name struck Robin, as if he knew it in some other world or way maybe a time he himself was not a part of yet somehow… he was… that name was Shekron.

* * *

On the feeds of the universe one space world leader watches, his world was Tameran. He sighs seeing his little girl at the funeral so sad. Gal'fore was not one to see such sadness but it was obvious she was sad for her friends and the death. 

The villains on Darkseid's ship smile and watch patiently. Madame was with her legs bobbing on each patiently watching the events. Brother Blood seems delighted with Nimrod repairing his machinery from the events. Even their newest additions Holocaust, Dead Man, and Sugar Man seemed pleased with the feed minus seeing the X-men there. The sadness of Magneto did give Holocaust pleasure knowing part of it was killing his daughter.

The Enclave of wolves had Dante and Rorek surprised as well. They soon were ready to leave in underground tunnels to their destination. The sight also made Whitepelt realize the severity this matter soon would have. Dante and Rorek leapt onto the machine to lead towards their new arrival.

In the land of Japan, Yusuke was sitting with his partners noticing all that has happened. They all share stares and nods understanding this was really getting bad. Naota also had his time seeing the video feed at his home. Canti gave the feed as Haruko watched on seeing his dirty work. Ninamori arrives and she takes a seat with Naota telling him how she was healed by Washu. Haruko was not worried over that she had to see how this was happening. The Muyo family was gathered seeing on their television Superman's death as well as the funeral. Sasami has a sign of grief as well as surprise when an image of Akaige appeared he was the same monster who she saw in her dreams. A hero of this land was standing in front of a store with his red dragon like mask. He was a mutant called Sunfire and his skill over flames was known to be the greatest ever. He was next to a family of detectives, well Richard Moore with his mustache and trimmed hair and Rachael Moore with her long brown hair and uniform stood as family but young genius Conan Etigawa was not their family actually he was a classmate of Rachael before… well it's a long story. Now he solved mysteries with them not so sure how this mystery would play out.

New York, here the Fantastic Four watched several times the events occurring as Spiderman was in his new suit. It was an iron form of his spider outfit, talk about cool! Venom did not stay though he saw the events. He made sure Aunt May was there and safe he was starting to like being in the world again. From the office of Matt Murdock a blind man was seeing thorough sight the funeral procession. He was not affected by the message he merely put out his cane and walked down the stairs to his car.

To the distant lands of Latveiria one man sat in his throne with his metallic hands clasped and eyes peering under his green hood. His land was not so concerned, but this Doctor of Doom certainly saw the outcome such dealings made. It was the world and universe watching this was the effect it had. Sadness and surprise, joy and even hate, the world was called in as much as the universe.

* * *

Lantern stood at the podium as he finished reading his criteria. So many were so caught up that one black serpent seemed to cross the park and find a golden mask '_So, Shekron is still watching me.'_ The serpent pays no mind now and leaves to the coffin. Lantern sighs and salutes the coffin as it was boarded by the serpent; none see it there. The coffin was released into the sun and from there Superman would take his place as a legend. 

The coffin pops open and the heroes were gasping did he pop out? He did not, a black snake does and soon the snake's tail grew out in purple mist. There was a body, human like it sprouts a cape that makes a hood. The snake was a claw, and the cape opens to create wings. The heroes are startled, the alien worlds stunned, and villains leap and praise the return of a villain now supreme. Akaige breathes deep the nothingness of space and watches the coffin hit the sun.

The coffin burns in the sun but it seems to spread a blackness of the sun's face. It was unusual and as this happened Akaige flies away from the sun with his claw guiding something. It was soon apparent what he guides as some large mass of blackness pours off the sun's face towards Akaige. He flies above the blackness and swings his claw toward the earth, the blackness is like a trained squid pulling and turning towards the prey it was told. The blackness breaks apart, into little comets and meteors of some sort. These hardening forms collect and bombard the earth and those who witnessed the coming of these things wished they had not. Young Virgil, or Static Shock was barely able to dodge the death of space with his flying metal board but his city fell too it. He was high enough to see the explosions that destroyed homes and wrecked cities. The young man was horrified as screams came from below and he was unable to stop them.

Akaige stood in the depths of space, rolling his head and holding his arms out he takes in all the screaming. He hears them all, mortals screaming in fear and terror. His eyes glow brightly with their cries of salvation even some cry for Superman and he is laughing at their idiocy. The world is soon silently coming to normal and the darkness sets. On the ground the world takes a sudden pause and Akaige looks to it his body so joyous he slowly makes to the Watch Tower. Going through the glass like a specter he lands and picks up the golden mask. Placing it with his side he turns to the heroes who are looking at him in disgust and rage, he looks to them all and shrugs, "_What-?"_

Lantern fires his ring but Akaige clicked his claw and disappeared in his mists. The monster escapes and all seem to look to the earth. A golden android materializes and nods "I apologize my friends the reality of his plan came to me too late. I feel I failed us all."

"The earth it has been…" Starfire falters to Robin who lets her cry into his shoulder.

"It has to be over now." Spoke the Man Hunter with most despair.

"No…" They all see the white colored hood of Raven, "This is only the beginning."

"Raven! You're okay!"

She gives no change she limps to Lantern "There are survivors down there. He left many heroes and normal humans for his sick game." She growls lowly with her fist "The Empire would have no fun destroying a dead planet."

"What do we do?"

"We do what we must. We survive, we fight, and most importantly," Raven turns to the earth sensing Akaige now there readying his next part of his plan, "We stop The Age of Akaige."


	8. When Your Lost I'll Find You 1

The Age of Akaige

By Pakkrat

Chapter 8: When Your Lost I'll Find You (Part 1)

Note: Hey everyone! Sorry that I have been gone for so long but I had some major issues to take care of. The plan was I would have a second chapter to go with this and no big cliff hangar. I have seriously let these stories go but now I'm back, hope you all are happy with this latest chapter.

On the Watch Tower the feelings seem to only grow. Lost in their misery most cadets handle and try to cope, the senior members were in the main center with the Teen Titans, Spawn, Doom Patrol, also Magneto with Sabretooth and Wolverine. Together it was obvious something needs to be done but really where do you start? The earth as they knew it was just fried. Sure, some lives remained but the world had been turned to one large scale war zone in mere moments. "If we had known he was using Superman's funeral as some start-up for this we could have…" Flash lowers his head but Wonder Woman grabs his shoulder "Chances are he had some other plan if this failed. We must find other ways to decide this course of action."

"I know what we must do." Magneto was viewed skeptically "You may recognize me as a villain from your own battles, I know I've had my times fighting each of you. The fact that I decreed my return as one of your allies may seem too much for most of you but I have something to contribute. I am a man of war, I predicted the war of human and mutant so now those skills will be very useful."

The others give slight stares but Raven who was not so skeptical since she understood the whole villain and hero thing "What do you propose Magneto?"

He nods to her thankfully, "I see that many wish to save the earth but I doubt we can just save it. Instead, treat this as war. Right now our enemy is stretched out and taking advantage we may catch them off guard while strengthening our own forces. I have been searching for candidates of the Brotherhood and along the lines of these young mutants were several truly beneficial to our own forces. With all that has happened finding out if these mutants survived could be key to successfully surviving these future battles."

Green Lantern would normally have his doubts but in a nod and smile he asks "Where do we find theses mutants?"

"They are spread out through the world. I know several who are very powerful and perhaps finding them may assist us as is. One is Sunfire within Japan he is known well as a hero to the people. Another is called Husk she has been in the New York area while visiting her great aunt but rumor is she truthfully came to try and apply for the Xavier institute. Another I heard of was a man called Red Star not really a mutant but chastised for his powers he had promise for my own team. Others have been in my notice but these three most importantly could provide what we may need."

Lantern was now looking for a seat finding one he takes it "Alright so this plan will work out? With Akaige and his little cronies all about we all should be fine."

"I have some news." Amazo was slowly trying to open the video screens to show the earth with many red blinking lights and several black blinking lights. It was kind of confusing but eventually the lights moved, "Wait, are those supposed to be people?"

"Indeed. As you can see there is an immeasurable amount of red lights still flashing meaning alive? These other lights are the anomalies that fell you see they spread the surface fairly wide. Most hit these certain areas where populations were denser, I find a larger fraction hit the areas of Manhattan also Japan." The black lights seemed to stay still, but eventually one moves now and again, "Why are they moving?" asked a confused Flash.

Raven was looking at Amazo fearful "Amazo, those things that hit the earth weren't just some kind of rocks or something… they were…"

"Yes, I do believe they were Kagejin."

* * *

Wendy was always having her problems with her job. This whole secretary thing kept her in her office and working hours on end, her boss however flew about and now he was off fooling around with this girl in marketing. She had short cut brown hair, actually more a light chestnut in color it was parted to her right side in an executive like way. Her purple women's suit and skirt was nice to say the least she actually was an attractive woman. Her gorgeous blue icy eyes looked down with her heeled shoes clacking on the floor. Late night like every night… but tonight was special. She decided to work three times as hard and move her schedule a head so she can get out and see someone. Opening the door she sees something she didn't expect. Smoke, cars wrecked, and wow it looks like something big happened here. "Oh my god…" She was stunned until hearing some scuffling. Some man slowly tries to shuffle his heavy feet with blood loss his view turns to her and as he reaches out his arm something flashes past taking his arm with it. The man screams, she screams, and in the air soaring to a building it snaps the arm in its powerful jaws. 

This beast was a large beast with a red colored scaly form. Its head bends back to the man with two eyes twisting like gecko's eyes would. The golden eyes see the man screaming and flailing so the beast's two large wings open out to fly past again. This time it swishes with the wings flattening out, they were shaped like some sort of curved blades to the end and swiping over the man he slices in the waist to fall in the air with his legs buckling under. The man's upper body still wriggles around as he was living, but the way his organs fell it was obvious this was not going to last long. The beast lands on the walls of another building and clasps its powerful claws crunching stone walls with its hands. Wendy was not usually one to be caught in awe but if you saw this you may have failed to think too, than comes the realization and she ran like hell!

The beast noticed before chomping down the arm making it snap. Its eyes twist around tuning on the woman running. With the twisting of this monster's toothy lips it soon tries flying back down on her. Wendy ran to slowly drop on her stomach and allow the monster to pass her over. It makes a turn in the air but she was running again. Her eyes seemed startled as she stops on her heels, looking on the monster as it was on her she steps back before dropping and cradling her head the monster smashes through the window of a store and she ran again. Stopping Wendy turns to see the damage but when she smiled the scream of the monster caused her to begin running again. The monster jumps out of the store with glass imbedded through it's one eye, the other wing is snapped and torn so now with that dragging the long neck swings along before settling on the sounds of feet trampling down an alley.

Wendy did not know where to go but she had an idea what to do. Reaching into her purse she grabs a black box with two metal prongs at its end. Her boss offered a Tazer so she could travel the subway at night not feeling like his being an ass would seem too outrageous. Hell, she refused the first time but eventually she gave in now she's happy she did. Running faster she bumps into something large before bouncing back. Rubbing her butt she looks up and her eyes shook in horror of the large monster before her. It was like a man standing on two legs, but so tall it was the size of some homes. The beastly thing turns around its small flabby head with two beady yellow eyes; the lower lip overlaps and allows two tusks to protrude while pointed ears flip again and again. Wendy notices as it turns each part moves as the movement ripples the fatty form of the creature that was covered in the purple, boil coated, gluttonous skin and flesh. With its hands opening to clasp her Wendy screams and jolts her Tazer on its hand, the beast roars and fumbles back she now darts between its legs before it falls on its bottom, the monster looks over its shoulder and she now hurries down the alley only to see the other two now there. These others were ugly beasts like all she saw before and now she tries her Tazer but one swipes it away before grabbing her and tossing her to a wall. The purple beast steps slowly to a stand and turns snorting and grunting to the others, the others make no change as they seem to hold her to the wall, one traps her chin in their clasp so hard she feels the bruising of her skin. The red dragon had come into the alley but hears noises, noises it did not like so it runs up the wall and from the safety watches the large black van stopping with its lights turning on the three monsters.

The purple beast roars up raising its large fists it runs heavily on the van. Within the van a man snaps out "Battle Van, Frontal Assault Spikes!" The Van's grill pokes several long javelin like spikes that impale the large beast; it screams and tries to thrash the van but the same voice snaps, "Battle Van, Release Assault Spikes!"

The spikes fire off as small rockets, the beast roars and screams as it is tossed by these forces over the two other monsters and the woman, she squeezes past them and towards the van. The other two monsters run after but the front door opens, a man in a long gray coat steps with loud thuds of his boots. His one arms holds out an automatic rifle which fires and kills one beast, the other is winged and spirals to the ground from the shoulder. The man has short hair, his eyes coldly look on the beasts and his face has hate, rage, disgust all on him. Cold piercing icy eyes glare on in the emotions of nothingness, and as Wendy asks "Who are you?" His coat is opened in the wind; a large skull is painted on his shirt. This man Wendy read about as he was some vigilante in the city of New York bringing justice to those who knew none. He snarls lowly before blasting the wounded demon, "The Punisher."

The red dragon roars up and runs onto the roof. Punisher has no time to hunt he motions Wendy to the van and she follows. In the back several others are huddled together, she smiles asking "Anybody got a light?"

"Sorry," Punisher taps the top of his van window showing the no smoking sign. He has a cigarette in his mouth as he says "No smoking in the rear carriage."

"But you're smoking!"

"Yep, I'm in the front carriage and you're in the rear besides the explosives back there could go if you're not careful."

Wendy has a slight twitch but he assures her it is safe... safer than outside. Turning to the main roads it shows true as the roads were filled with atrocities. The monsters cover the roads all kinds and types, more than ever seen before in most nightmares ever had. With one thing in their sight killing and destroying. Wendy saw one man reaching out from the alley way before the segmented tail pulls him in by the neck. She turns away, Punisher notices… not her but her chest, and she was nice looking and damn nice build. The screams and he's back on track with his cigarette flying towards the back, Wendy snatches it and smirks before taking a smoke. Punisher swerves around the large standing beast with brown segmented armor tall on two legs. It turns its head towards the van with the head of a bee like insect, large multi-vision green eyes view the van and tossing another vehicle to the ground it explodes. The bee head has a long horn that points at the end two ways to the side, its muscular man like body opens the back for several wings to release and than allow the creature to hover off the ground to follow the van. Punisher screams orders and the van fires off several missiles on the armored beast. It was unaffected, how can this get any worse? "Who the hell took my cigarette?"

Wendy sighs offering it back, "Here you cry baby!"

A snatch than a swerve, Punisher sees his destination and glares happily before a full throttle and the beetle slows down to stop outside the line of guarding. Yes, around the fantastic tower were millions of guns prepared to fire and blow away any demon too close. The beetle buzzes a while before leaving and Punisher wave's good bye, "So much for you Hercules."

"Hercules?"

"Yeah he reminds me of a beetle, and the Hercules Beetle is pretty strong and big so I call that guy Hercules he seems to always be around when I'm driving by."

* * *

The heroes had spent their time thinking up ideas to deal with these new problems. Iron Man was outside the door to the Watch Tower Conference Room after knocking he asks "Can I come in?" 

"No." Flash opens the door, "I'm just kidding sure you can! Hey, how do you get out of that thing anyway?"

"A can opener," Iron Man steps towards the table "I have news from the Baxter Building, or the HQ of the Fantastic Four. It seems some survivors are headed their way through rogue agents and other means as that. I even was given word several appeared from the sewers."

Magneto jumps up "Was doctor McCoy there? He goes by the code name Beast!"

"The blue guy?" Magneto leaves out a sigh "Sure did and he has some others with him all safe and sound. The good thing is everyone is safe for now. The defenses will last a while but they don't know how long so now they were wondering when will they expect reinforcements and evacuation?"

The room is silent, Iron Man catches on quick "You don't plan on leaving them there do you?"

"We have a lot to think about Iron Man. Lives are in the balance and…"

"Tell me about it! Over most New York is meeting in the Baxter Building and all you want to do is stay here and let them die!"

"Hold it!" Raven stands with her hands rubbing her temples, "Maybe… we can help them…" She seems to have a flash of genius "Lantern, the Justice League has helped countless alien worlds! That, and Star Tameran is under Galfore's rule so with his help maybe they could hold refugees."

"Of course it would be an honor for my people."

"How about we send a message to space through all lines and fashions telling we need help. Evacuate the people on Earth to Tameran."

Starfire giggles as she was headed to the comm. Room but Lantern screams "Hold on! Even if this works someone needs to understand not every alien species we saved will come and help, let alone enough ships taking these people to Tameran."

"Then what a bout Jurai?" others turn to see Amazo pointing to Japan. "The two princesses of Jurai have been on earth for several years. I do believe a royal family in danger would make Jurai act quickly and other ships may assist from mentioning of rewards."

Lantern was skeptical… but what else did they have? "Okay, get on the horn."

"Wait? What of the missions?" Magneto lowers his head "If we fail then…"

"Hold, he's right we need teams for each mission."

Magneto turns to the heroes gathered outside watching televisions, one young mutant called Colossus catches his eyes "I know one who will lead a mission to the Russian territory Red Star resides. Colossus has family there and I know he will be most concerned to know what has happened to them. This will allow him to find his family and assist all of us as well." Magneto looks to see if any were going to argue which Lantern did. "Why should we allow your team to lead this mission?"

"Simply put we have the most members skilled enough for every mission, as well the use of your skills should be designated for the more important matters. If you can not understand then I ask you let me lead these three missions best I can." Lantern has a slight snarl but Batman walks over.

"Let it go. If anything I feel I can use my skills on this mission. Perhaps each mission can have one of us with the team to make sure things work out."

"You want to go there? Why not one of the others we may need you here."

"I have a suit built for the conditions of a strong winter climate. That and if you really can't trust these people why not have someone with them? Brotherhood or not, I trust the X-men."

"I also wished to send two others one is Shadow Cat and Sabretooth. Shadow Cat can use her powers in junction with Colossus as Sabretooth has a stronger regenerative power in cold climates he's virtually immortal."

Starfire floats over "May I please assist? My people are quite resilient to harsh environments."

The heroes start chatting and Magneto turns to the map "Japan, the mutant is Sunfire. I know him to be incredibly powerful but with the sight of his family and friends dying, let alone his love for his nation may cause him to loose control. To counter his massive powers I feel we should send Rogue, Pyro, and Gambit who will all be capable of countering his powers."

"He's that bad? Who wants to try and fight him?" Lantern feels J'onn floating up "I will do my best to assist with his power." Beast Boy sort of rubs his neck "I guess I could show up too."

Lantern sees Iron Man now pushing in "I don't know what mission you are talking about but I have one. Two members of my old Avengers team are alive and at Tony Starks Company labs. I have to get to them as soon as possible then get them out to the Baxter Building."

"That is an excellent idea Ice Man, Quicksilver, and Storm will also head to the New York area in search for a mutant called Husk…" Magneto seems resilient but he nods adding "As well I shall go. The others of the X-mansion will be at the Baxter building before we return I hope to assist those trapped within."

Flash gives a smirk as he zooms over next to Lantern "This one is mine boss I have a feeling I'll like the chance to see the big apple."

Cyborg even gives his Booya before cocking his arm "Count me in for this one!"

Even as it seemed finished the sound of some small scampering feet caused Raven to look down. She blinks at the small pale creature in purple robes and crown, "Raven, Sha-lah!"

"What?" She was not used to seeing the small aliens here. She squats down and picks the creature up holding it in her hands. "What are you here for?"

"Secret, Sha-lah!" The little creature in his crown jumps up with his fist in the air trying to grab her cloak; she puts him on her head and asks "What kind of secret?"

"A dire one." Raven turns and sees The Watcher. Uatu with his large head nodding to her and another purple robed being a man tall and ominous his hood hides all his face in nothingness. She turns to the others they stopped in time. "What is going on?"

The robed man raises an elderly hand so pale it made Raven seem sunburned "A trump card we hoped we did not need to play so soon my dear."

* * *

In the midst of the screams of horror and curdling cries of pain none seem more at home than the skeleton general Gaikotsu who has structured a strange tarp over bone hoists. "Okay, main camp is up and things seem sturdy." He turns to Reiram who bows before turning to four strange cocoons like objects "Now is the time to awaken the first four but Akaige is running a little late." 

The sound of clacking and soon they turn to find Akaige with his eyes leering on them. "_I'm not late."_ His claw latches out but stops inches from Gaikotsu, "_It never starts until I am there. Remember that Gaikotsu."_ The sound of a ship landing causes Akaige to turn and his eyes sly before a swing of his cape. The villains who were riding before landed laughing with the show. From the air they watched the city burn like never before. When Akaige passes between them all in the tent they loose their playful natures. Holocaust stood tall with his eyes peering the others who still tried to joke, mostly Dead Man and Sugar Man. Akaige waves his claw and soon Gaikotsu and Reiram shuffle in a large dinner table that they must have found from a store. "_Don't be foolish especially now. Even with these fools spread apart the same goes for us. Each of our forces were torn from each and now only are beginning to reform stability. To ensure the advantage of our forces we must work for the continuity of our supremacy. To do that each of you have a mission with significant importance."_

"Ooh! We get missions! Never saw that coming eh boss?" Dead Man chuckles with the snorts of Sugar Man before a clasp on his throat caused a major change in atmosphere. Akaige has a sinister glare, but it lightens and he chuckles a little too. Dead Man feels the hand loosen and Akaige turns back to the villains assembled here, "_On these outings you will meet others working for me. Some you never met before or perhaps you heard of them through circles of crime."_

The shadow lord slowly waits for Gaikotsu finishing with setting chairs made of bones. Strange as it seems they must have only recently been made, because as the others sat they were most unnerved from the warmth these seats projected… they were very recently made. "_Mr. Sinister,"_ Sinister looks up from his seat, "_The Baxter Building has a field that comes on and off with each rescue transport. I want you to find out how the shield is powered and perhaps a way to disable it or how long that blasted thing will last."_

"An honor it will be to test my genius to that of the one and only Reed Richards."

Akaige turns to Brother Blood, "_Your new body is able to alter programming of machinery so now I need your expertise to find the source of their second defense. The building has turrets over its covering making attack impossible as the shield is down. Figure out how to remove this obstacle while Sinister deals his matters."_ Akaige now turns to Dead Man who was twiddling his thumbs after leaping from under the table to his seat. Another leer and Akaige speaks with tone, "_Your mission is to evaluate this city and find others surviving along with my other teams. I have a feeling the heroes are not all at the Baxter Building try to remove others within the city before they can culminate at that one point. The more of them there and the more difficult destroying its inhabitants will be."_

"Aye-aye Captain! It's an honor to slice and dice the cream of the crop!"

Sugar Man shifts from the stare on him "_You're an expert with energy aren't you?"_ Sugar Man nods his head body "_Good, I want you to assist two scientists with their reactor for Darkseid."_ Darkseid smiles as Sugar Man scratches his head a little confused "_Somehow I expected you to be confused but deal with it. Darkseid will inform you on why we must finish this reactor immediately; Madame will go along to the facility I know houses a special material for the new reactor called Xinothium."_

"Xinothium?" Sugar Man licks his lips with memories of the material "I have always wondered the real power that stuff holds. I wonder what you have planned for such a powerful substance, and who are these two scientists?"

To answer one part of the question Akaige turns to click his claws and walking forward was a man in all white with red goggles and a breathing apparatus, his name was Professor Chang. With him the elderly scientist with his mechanical prisms over his hands and chest with black tight skin suit, more known as Dr. Light. "_Professor Chang knows the location of this material and what we need to produce it more easily. Dr. Light is a genius with concentrating energy through many apparatuses, you will find them both useful to your energy facilities you call Core."_

Sugar Man offers his hands and the scientists cringingly shake his four arms. Akaige stood up before turning and leaving, "_Holocaust,"_ Holocaust was caught off guard, "_You will go to the island of Japan. Burn it down and leave nothing but ashes. Take Nimrod for back up, and if you find these two girls make sure they do not survive."_ Akaige holds out his claw and from it two forms took shape from his fingers, they were the Jurai princesses Sasami and Ayeka. "_I also have another problem still there it seems even after I warned her to leave if you find this girl with a guitar and vespa… well, if you can kill her but preferably keep your distance she is dangerous. You have your missions now get to it."_ Akaige flips his claw and the villains stand up to all but Dead Man topple over on their faces. Dead Man cackles in his seat tipping on their back but the chair tips and he slams hard. Akaige stood silent before turning to the sky "_Idiots…"

* * *

_

The two beings soon nod to Raven as she stood stunned, "Will this work?"

"We believe it will." The robed figure revealed himself as Time Trapper, a being of great power but his views were not evil or good. He has caused terrible and wonderful things in his search of knowledge but now he uses his knowledge to reveal a secret. From an old war before his time and Watcher's time a demon still exists to be awoken. The two have debated and with Raven's half-demon blood and powers perhaps she could awaken this demon and if possible persuade him to fight against Akaige. He betrayed the demonic clan eons ago along with his friend a demon called Sparda. The two fought armies of these hell beasts but this demon was later defeated then captured now he is trapped deep within a realm of hell nearly untouchable but by spirit and Raven with her new control of her soul powers could perhaps do this. However, it would be tiring if not fatal. She was worried, but eventually she agrees.

"Good the next thing you need is to choose a champion of sorts to protect your body as you traverse to this realm, the Sha-lah can take you where you need to go. If anything goes wrong we will assist the best we can but know even we have limitations to what we can do."

Raven bows as time returns and soon she looks to the people here. Explaining it soon Time Trapper offers her a chance to leave. Raven moves to the Bathing quarters and sees an open shower she walks in and closes the door to hear a voice, the steely voice of Slade. "Interesting friends we found. They say you're going to travel into hell for some demon. Is that true?"

"Yes." If her voice cracked a little nervous it may be the fact she already was down to her undergarments and outside the door Slade had his back on the door standing. She coughs uneasily and turns the water up causing more steam before finally tossing her lower garments over the wall. Slade looks to them, small and black he merely turns to the opposite wall again "You ever think the Goth thing is a bit much? You always have the black and dark colors even on your panties? I'd find it very problematic under some circumstances."

"It's none of your business." She swashes her head under the water wetting her hair. "I live how I want and why did you come here to see me? It wasn't to talk about fashion sense."

"No it was not." Slade turns to her in the shower a shadow behind the glass fog "I owe you for giving me the courage to fight before. I don't often put myself in a place to owe someone so if you died on this stupid mission I would never be able to repay you." Slade hears a snort "Is that so? Well I hate to burst your bubble but I do have more to me than psychosis and delusions of world domination."

Raven turns her head up to the ceiling trying to pretend he was not there. Finally she had a sudden chill, "Slade, you worried I may die?"

"A little." It came out easily, "If it was me even I'd have some concerns. Then again after what you did in Jump City with Akaige it's not like you have no place to say what you should do. I'm only offering my help in retribution for yours. Don't get the wrong idea I still hate you teenage twerps but then again," He pushes off leaving the bathroom "I hate dying more."

After her shower Raven slowly dries up and enters the main room. She sees the mutants gathered for their missions along with Blink, the girl looks faint but again her power was necessary. Raven is looked on heatedly but she gulps, "I choose Slade to be my guard." The heroes all look on blankly, Robin asks "What?"

"You heard her boy." Slade has a death glare immediately but he didn't even care. "She chose the most expendable and skilled person. Who knows just what may happen."

As the heroes started asking why this choice Blink falters to only be grabbed then raised by Sabretooth. "I'm sorry Mr. Creed I can't go with you but hopefully I'll be able to send you there safely."

"Thanks kid I really appreciate it." He turns to Wolverine who is a little grumpier than usual. "What's your problem?"

Wolverine looks to Blink but shifts his head so Sabretooth follows. "Fury called me earlier. It seems our friend Holocaust is actually an old friend of ours."

"Who?"

"The mutant I busted in that facility holding Clarice, Nemesis."

"What?" Sabretooth was really startled with this news. "That's the same freaking guy? I thought he was a blonde beauty queen looking freak!"

"He was but somehow he used radiation to turn himself into that thing. Fury escaped to a special lab hidden somewhere with Trask, the guy who made the Sentinels. They're in this base working hard to try and build a new weapon for everything happening."

Sabretooth rubs his forehead before letting it lie on a cold metal column "Don't tell Clarice I don't want her to think about them now. Nemesis and Sugar Man both…" His face was a snarl "The tests they did on her were enough to make me sick."

"You never did talk to me about them." Wolverine flips up seeing Blink walking in with her arms crossed, "Thank you Mr. Logan but I need to talk to Sabretooth alone now."

Sabretooth was shying his eyes out a window to the void of space as Logan coughs a little tapping Sabretooth on the shoulder, "Yeah… whatever." He still may be a rival to the other but eventually their rivalry was only a slight difference to friendship.

"You knew?" Sabretooth shifts to Blink who nods; she always knew what really happened. He hoped she forgot but with the life she lived she never forgot. What brought them together was an unusual mission for the Brotherhood of Mutants while on this mission Sabretooth found the small girl Clarice Ferguson. He remembers it like yesterday, and stranger yet it was the last time Sabretooth and Logan fought on the same side until now.

"I smell something…" Sabretooth growls lowly as he was outside a large metallic door. The man behind him was Wolverine with his black spy outfit on. "I can't find a switch or whatever."

"It's okay," Wolverine holds out a fist "I got the key." Slashing the claws of his metallic bone through the door he cuts open a hole large enough for them both to step through. Sabretooth sniffs around it was a dark room with one bed and walls. In the corner rags were gathered together, they shook, "Hey, are you okay?" Sabretooth steps lightly towards the rags that tremble harder and harder. Eventually he holds out a hand and the rags unfurl for a small pale purple hand, "Damn someone was in here."

Sabretooth helps the small girl into his arms and as she shivered Sabretooth has a great distaste for the sheer fear in her eyes "It's a kid Logan… someone's child."

The sound of explosions and they snap to reality the place was burning up somehow their intrusion set off an explosion. "Time to go Creed!"

Creed, or Sabretooth, runs with the small girl to his chest his mind remembers the whimpers and cries as they tried to escape. Exiting to a large room the door on the other side was open but it closes when they reach it. The sound of clanging and the two men turn upward to see the large form on a catwalk a blonde haired man with a beauty mark to his left cheek. His eyes were blue, but so cold and heartless he speaks in pure hatred "You destroyed my reactor. That surge caused the experiment to fail. How am I supposed to achieve my goals without the fires of hell to burn me?" The man in a crazed smile screams "I will burn you all in the fires of hell! Each and every one of you Gene-traitors!"

"He seems pissed." Wolverine opens his claws screaming "Fabio is mine take her and go."

Sabretooth escapes the facility soon after with no serious injuries. His only problem came after they were outside he thought they could rest. He stops seeing the cliff to his right, some trees ahead, and the path down the mountain to the cruiser. Now he wondered about Wolverine he notices the place was burning up pretty good. Taking a step something crunches. He looks down at the wrapper and picking it up he blinks as he reads "Snickers? What the hell is candy doing here?"

"Sugar Man…" The girl says in a near forced gravel whisper her throat dry and painful. Sabretooth snatches from his side a canteen and offers her a drink she downs most the container this young child had been through a lot he saw those machines and knew the testing on mutants here. It was why he was sent to stop this sick place and save the mutants inside. He saved her but the others… the timing… "What were you saying kid?"

She wipes her lips so parched she speaks in a crackle "It's him… Sugar Man."

"Who?"

From above Sabretooth smells something, he looks up pushing the girl out of the way as something large slams down in front of him. The something stood with four arms and large red eyes and horns, "Haw! Haw! Haw! Haw!" The fiendish thing laughs than slaps Sabretooth with its tongue straight through a tree. Sabretooth slowly stands up to see the monster turned on the girl his tongue lurches out and licks her terrified face, "Fergi, you know I'm always going to be there watching you. It's my specialty after all. Haw! Haw! Haw! Haw!"

"Hey!" Sabretooth snatches up the tree he smashed now a large upper log he twirls it on the turning beast "Leave the girl alone!"

The monster is like a baseball bouncing off that bat tree to another tree he bounces and topples a little before settling on the ground again. Sabretooth glared his fanglike grin before dropping the tree. The monster stirs and stands up snarling its razor fang mouth, the head was its own body somehow "You know who I am? I'm the Sugar Man that's who I am!" He points his one arm towards the girl "That's my property you got there and if you know what's good for you, you'll leave it!"

With a snarl Sabretooth answers with his charge and lunge on the Sugar Man. The two rolled on the ground swinging a punch and biting one another again and again. With scream and bite, blood and tears the two swung and fought as if beasts. The girl sat and watched as her eyes were awakening to the sight. Sabretooth is pushed up from the tongue and kicked off from a small leg. Sugar Man rolls and flips up before a lancing strike of his tongue cuts the ribs of his enemy. Sabretooth was unguarded so it halts him slightly, long enough for Sugar Man to retrieve some kind of dual hand axe. He screams in a charge and swings the razor axe close to Sabretooth's head. Sabretooth was able to grapple the weapon but another hand grabs the axe, he counters with his last arm but Sugar Man bares two more and his widening grin came as his two right arms pulled away Sabretooth's left, the mutants were deadlocked with their power but Sugar Man was slowly gaining the edge. The girl was fearful; her hands gripped tightly thinking what it would do to her if it won. She begins to cry and in a reaction of fear she screams "NO!"

Sugar Man is distracted and Sabretooth pries the axe. With a snarl and a swing up with the axe it strikes over the one eye of Sugar Man. Sugar Man wobbles back grabbing at the gushing wound. Eventually he falls too close to the cliff he is lost in the moment and falls straight back screaming his hideous voice while he plummets. Sabretooth looks over the edge loosing sight of the mutant called Sugar Man. He turns to the girl before tossing the axe on the ground. "What's your name kid?"

"Clarice… but they called me… Blink."

The two look at each other but Blink moves past to the window seeing the space and void. "I still have nightmares Mr. Creed. Mostly about Sugar Man." She had a sad face in the reflection of the window "I still can see him and sometimes hear him laughing."

"Don't worry kid one day soon," He grabs her shoulder "I'll pay them both back for what they did to you each and every one of those tests."

Her one hand grabs his fingers on her shoulder, Blink ran off and Sabretooth slightly felt sad. Returning the two found the debate on what was to happen really was heating up. Robin gave up after hearing Raven say his place was on earth trying to find the former members of their expanded teams. Why Slade, she says his need to repay a debt was why but to him it was anything near an insult. Eventually Blink is looking to each of the groups "I can open a portal to a location but for getting you home I'm not so sure I can pull that one off. If I rest maybe in intervals but I can't promise anything."

Sabretooth nods to her and she turns away, "When you're ready kid." The three portals open and teams leave like planned. Magneto was last to enter a portal so he looks back finding the strange warrior Spawn making towards them "You're coming to New York?"

"It's my home. I feel I might as well." The two leave and Blink has a smile before an invisible entity leaves through the portal to Sabretooth, "Mr. Creed!" The portals close and she slowly drops. Slade grabs her and helps her up turning to the others he asks "Logan can you take care of Clarice while we are gone?"

"Sure thing Slade." Logan swings an arm around his neck but Blink opens another portal, "Robin needs to go…"

Robin has a moment looking to Raven and Slade. His slight snort and a stomp through the portal leaves Slade rolling his eye as Raven shook her head. "Come, Sha-Lah!" Raven notices the little aliens surrounding her and Slade chanting before a flash that made them each disappear.

* * *

The city once known as the big apple. With streets full of death and fires started at almost every corner. Peeling out on a black motorcycle was the man in black, Dead Man. His form veers through the streets passing all the normal screams of pain making towards the thing he heard about. Stopping at a corner he sees down the street a large green man beast screaming as it tossed two beasts into the sky. The green monster man screams on Dead Man who has his sword unsheathed. "Hulk smash, Hulk bash!" 

Dead Man speeds over with his sword dodging the tossed car but his shadowy form passes under the outstretched arm of a punch with his sword blazing with the lights. His sword is out from his front with a stream of blood dripping on its blade; Hulk turns with blood dripping from his lips as his side was ripped wide open. "Puny man has sharp sword. Puny man going to be ripped apart by Hulk!"

Dead Man leaps off from the backhand swing to wheel spin over the large beast that now stood still. Dead Man lands the opposite side with his legs spry, he whips the sword and Hulk's head splits into two. Wiping the blade clean Dead Man speaks to himself "It's called Adamantium Mr. Jolly Green Giant." Sheathing the blade Dead Man has a call on his communicator "Who is it?"

On the other end Mr. Sinister smiles his crazed grin "I was calling to thank you for the blood samples. This was the girl was it not?"

"Huh, oh you mean Scarlet Witch? I remember you mentioned this girl before for one of your experiments. So how's your work on the field going?"

"Mr. Richards has proven quite skilled I am enjoying this immensely. The field will lose power soon enough but that means we only have to wait. What they have planned to escape is all we need to figure out."

"Where can they escape to? The damn city is just about in the Baxter building now."

"Perhaps," Sinister turns off the communicator looking at the stats of the field "Reed is not so foolish they will make a move but when… and how?"

The tent flaps flutter and Brother Blood walks towards a strange device "I have good news and bad news." Sinister looks up to see the snarl of Blood. "I disabled the guns leaving them useless by the computers. However, the field still holds them safely inside without it being disabled we have no way of ending this quickly."

"I see. Is there any word from Akaige?"

"Not yet."

* * *

Elsewhere Akaige stood with his claw over the four strange cocoon like things his two minions brought him. Gaikotsu sat with his hands on his knees while Reiram was diligent in his guard duty within a tree. Akaige's claw soon sparks strange energy across the ground centered from each cocoon. The energy trails imaginary lines surrounding each cocoon where the sparks soon flicker off as branches towards separate points of each cocoon. The cocoons would now pulsate; they seemed to beat on a heart like vibe until their outer surfaces secrete moisture. Hibernated life was replenished and the four beings within break open to allow the purple mist so common to these creatures to spurt in a powerful vent. The mists began to mix and reform over their corresponding cocoon. 

Four beings have emerged each a different entity all their own. Akaige takes a step back narrowing his eyes on each that stood before him. The first to step forward was a young looking man in an all blackened cape which fell far over his front and back. The forehead was with a crown of sorts, four talons that are held with a frame of metal the crown resembles a tiara with form but not dainty. His hair is parted under the crown, the long strands in the back with two split locks over the front of the ears and down the shoulders and chest. His formal face was handsome but skin a deep gray offsetting the crimson eyes that had no pupils or features aside from a solid blood color. "_Master Kireshk, officer of my eastern section of the empire. A pleasure seeing you could make it."_

"The pleasure is all mine lords." This beings voice was a monotone darker than even Raven. Akaige sees another being risen, this was a form of slender shape a female within flowing white robe and colored designs through it. Her legs were bent like a reptile as her light blue skin was scaled and shined with the dancing flames of burning debris. Her hands were large, fitted of five fingers razor sharp and yet delicately she grasps the leaf from a dying tree. Her face was hidden under a white mask of no features aside the holes for her red/golden eyes and strange red jagged stripes of three from each side where her cheeks would be. Long blue hairs came from her head but waved as if separate. She bows her head and Akaige does the same "_Lady Lokio, the officer of my western stretches. As always your beauty has made my evening."_

She does not answer but with the slight movement of her head to the sound of crunching. This next demon was hunched on his legs gnawing insanely on a deceased person's arm. His feasting ends with the annoyed tapping of Akaige's claw to his own thigh. The fat demon stood quickly, his blackened armor covers his upper chest and back but a round belly still was bare from his under coverings of fur and leather skins. The lower body is similar with animal tended clothing only changed from armor. His right arm is in armor gauntlet and bracer, the left bare except the spiked strap of his wrist. With one ear slightly missing the other was pointed and pierced with a bone like ear-ring. His face was scrunched and only one eye was good the other had a flesh graft over it. A salute of his fist to his chest the creature asks "I ask forgiveness for gorging as I have, but so long it has been since last I feasted on mortal flesh."

"_Of course Gordaio this is not something I find unusual. A warlord like yourself does not need to ask for forgiveness especially when he earned so much respect as a veteran warrior in times of earlier conquest."_

"Yes…" He does a bow and turns slightly to the feast, "May I…"

"_You may."_

As Gordaio returns to his meal the final mist mass makes shape to the form of a serpent that began to grow larger and larger. It spans out great wings that when expanded their force caused many of the flames to die from the winds. It opens its mouth wide to let forth a hiss so great the few animals that hid, rats and insects all now ran from their hiding to seek further away a place. The strange serpent now stood upon its base allowing its eyes of ten crimson orbs twist to a stare on all under it. The large beast was slowly slinking to the ground where Akaige opens his three fingered claw and with his large talons he scratches under its chin whispering to it the serpent hisses more delighted. The three lords' watch as Akaige perches the serpent creature, than he saddles it saying "_Serpentine, this is going to be a great day for war."_ He raises his eyes in confusion, "_Than again when is it ever a poor day for war?"

* * *

_

Slade and Raven were teleported to a jungle like world with high vegetation along side the Sha-lah. Slade raises a brow with the sight of a second Sha-lah without the crown. "Um, Raven." She turns around slightly "These things are multiplying."

"They do that."

"That, Sha-lah." The two scream in unison making Slade cringe each in his ears. "Why do they say that?"

"Because they do."

"Do, Sha-lah!" Screams six of the Sha-lah. Slade is turning shoulder to shoulder "Um… Raven these things are freaking me out. That's not an easy thing to do!"

"Do," Raven shook her head before turning to see a large mountain of Sha-lah on his back making him take strained steps "Sha-lah!"

Slade collapses and Raven shoos the small aliens. Offering her hand Slade grasps it to stand up to her closely. The two stood there a moment before Raven merely walks off. Slade glares his eye before brushing it off. "Cold shoulder…"

"What?"

"I said… like a boulder. All those little creatures were quite heavy."

Raven nods to stop short. Her eyes were wide on this large stone temple like she never saw before with vines covering most the surface. Slade stood at her side giving a less thrilled look. "This is what we're looking for?"

"For, Sha-lah!" The aliens begin trailing to the temple so Raven shrugs "Guess we should keep looking."

Raven slowly walks ahead leaving Slade to give his stare, "You know a little less sass could be appreciated."

"Whatever."

Slade shook his head trying now to ignore her. The inside of this temple lead to an altar like room, a circular pattern of stones like a flame around some face was where the Sha-lah circled. Raven looks confused, "What do I do?"

"Do" The aliens point to the center of the face, "Sha-lah?"

Raven clears her throat before making her move. Slade grabs her arm, "Be careful I may be able to protect your body but other than that you will be on your own."

"I have it don't worry."

Slade narrows his eye before letting her go "I'm sure you will."

Raven was standing in the center not sure what to do but the sound of chanting caused her to look all around. The Sha-lah began chanting in a language she did not know. They danced, shook, and leapt about in a united kind of movement. Raven was now feeling heat rise from under her and the stones turned to flame. Slade made a move but the flames blocked him in a rush. Slade looks at Raven turning herself each way to see the flames slowly crawl all around her. Slade looks around noticing flames burn in the place of stone statues to each roof's corner. Raven now stood with a strange flaming mass its upper body glowing with embers. The beast has two large horns bent back from its head and golden flames echoed from its eyes in a scream. "Who are you girl?"

"I am Raven the daughter of Trigon."

"Trigon?" The creature narrows its eyes "You seek something? What?"

"I seek Evils Angel!"

"Hm?" The strange creature seems skeptical but with a flash of fire from the eyes Raven's own eyes are lit up. The creature disappears and the fires die out with Raven falling on her knees. Slade scrambles and skids to her side to hold her inches from the floor. Laying her on the ground he asks "What do I do now?"

"Now…" Slade looks up to the Sha-lah. "Sha-lah."

* * *

Magneto looks out from the building they appeared on. His eyes were wide in horror of the screaming people as the city is burned and ravaged. His mind seemed to blank out to the marching feet and men saluting their hand to the sky. The Swastika upon each of their arms and yes… their chanting… "Magnus?" Magneto turns back around to see the weather mistress Storm looking at him concerned. She naturally worries over anyone let alone this former enemy. Magneto lowers his head but in his own mind he quickly returns to the world. "Storm we need cover. Could you make a fog thick enough for me to transport us over and to the Baxter building?" 

Storm nods raising her hands. Iron Man turns another way before saying "Sorry but I have other plans. I'll meet back with you at the Baxter Building when I'm ready."

"Me too." Spawn shifts across the roof his cape wrapping the walls as he descends to the alleys. Magneto was not really surprised so in the fog as cover he takes his X-men to the Baxter building. On the way he is stopped from screaming. He turns down to the many children huddled behind two women. The women held iron pipes this was the fabled Hell's Kitchen, they were in front of the Holy Ghost Church. Closing in from the iron gates were several demonic creatures the lead on a large blue millipede looking creature with a long bird like beak and one singular glowing red eye from its forehead. The beak screams as the creature rears up on the two frightened women obviously teachers from the crashed bus across the street fending the students they were responsible for. The large insect rears up higher before a lightning fast strike takes one teacher's chest clean apart leaving her body to tumble a little before dropping. The other teacher is lost and so when the beast strikes again she fell quickly. The children scream and holler now huddled they are helpless with the beast but it is now backing away. A new figure appears his form like bands that unwrap and rap again making a man's semi-muscular body. The center of the strap like being his center glows with an unholy blue orb. The coverings of his band body were actually his flesh now a simple one layer covering of black epidermis. The face is of the material and only two blue lights have the eyes now looking delighted from the children's reaction to his appearance. An open mouth fashioned like fake teeth smile widely at the frightened children, his spiked hair the only feature different from his other casing body-parts but even it was false a mere collection of hairs dyed to his preferred color. "Ooh, they all taste delicious!"

"Abyss…" Magneto lowly growls. Storm is caught off guard "He is a mutant whose existence is trapped to a black hole. The atomic energy he once held became critical and now he is a living black hole using that twisted material as a false body. In truth his being is merely the energy inside his gullet."

"How do you know that?"

"I know because I once thought of hiring him. However his crazed hunger makes him a danger to all even himself."

Abyss was looking more and more with his right hand out. Then the fingers unwrap and the bands tangle over one small boy that he drags from the huddle. He stops dragging a little ways to have the children stand and watch the boy scrambling for the others. His eyes gleam and the boy is pulled up and tossed, the bands wrap over one arm and hold him by the single limb. The boy is lowered as he sniffles and tries to hold in his cries with the free arm under his sleeve. Abyss brings the boy to his face, a smile widens as the boy looses complete control and urinates himself from fear. "Aw, and I thought I had a face only a mother could love! Eh! He! He! He! He!" The arm stretched high into the air and soon the energy orb begins to pull on the ground and air towards itself as it begins to spin fiercely. The boy screams in fear as the fingers stretch him closer in a spurt, "Oops, I almost let you go! Know what happens when I let you go?" The fingers spurt again and the child is screaming for his family, "I know, I know! You get all swallowed up and RIPPED APART! EH! HE! HE! HE! HE!" Again they stretch, "Oops," Then again they stretch, "OOPS!"

Storm is disgusted and readies to attack but Magneto puts his arm in the way "We have to help that boy!"

"Don't worry they have it."

"Who?"

Abyss laughs and lets go, "Oops!" The boy screams as he is falling into the black hole but from his shadow on the ground black tentacle like appendages stretch and pull him in. Abyss is dumbfounded and screams before powering himself down. "Who the hell did that?"

The shadow has not disappeared Abyss walks over and leaning his head off from his shoulder the neck winds down until a shadow fist hits him so hard the springy neck bobs like a jack in the box. Abyss tumbles back his head snapping to normal he is noticing the large shadow coming from the ground taking the shape of a caped robe. The robe merely levitates off the ground with its blue color for a second or so Storm thinks it was Raven but… how? Then a face exits the hood speaking in a dark monotone man's voice, "I am nothing from hell. I merely find you deserving to go there."

"What?" Abyss was too angry to really listen "Who are you?"

"I am Cloak." The man speaks with nothing of emotion. His face was with eyes colorlessly white and his skin cracked with black shadow that seems to leak from inside himself. His body was not there he was a mere cloak levitating and holding the form of this strange being.

"And I am Dagger!" A hand comes out from the cloak and fires a white burst that blasts Abyss through his little group of demons. A woman warps out from the cloak glowing in an aura of white. Her tight skin outfit was a white creamy color like her skin, and the divide down the center of her chest was a sword like shape with the hilt and guard over her belly and abdomen, the sword's edge goes through her central cleavage where the outfit's top trim ends at her jugular. Her hair was wild and free blonde, eyes an icy blue and over her right eye a moon crescent shaped collection of white sparkles. She was gorgeous and holding the boy she lays him on the ground asking "Cloak is he one of those things?"

"No he is a mutant like us. However he is so demented and cruel…" Cloak shakes his head "He is as dark inside as I."

"I can see you're one of those annoying vigilante groups I hear about. Hey do us all a big favor and back off as I eat these kids!"

Dagger is gagging with this idea "Did he actually ask us to let him hurt these kids?"

Cloak was not phased he merely lets a breath out in a slightly agitated groan "He is not mentally capable of understanding we will not allow him to harm these children like we were harmed." Cloak closed his eyes tightly but Abyss snorts to the emotional moment this otherwise unattached hero had. "You know I don't care! Why waste the time telling me the story while my boys tear you all apart."

On that cue the demons make their move but as quickly as Abyss sent them, Dagger acted. Dagger flew into the sky and in a fashion all her own she twirled like a ballerina releasing with her spins the blasts of her endless power. Cloak watched in slight awe from her dance and as these sparks flew Abyss stood still until the final blast lands. He is in a paused stance slowly shifting his eyes to the now decimated force. A raise of his finger and perking of his lips is stopped from the sound of Magneto landing. Abyss turns, seeing Magneto and his team, Cloak and Dagger, he nods "I guess I have no choice but to…" He runs away screaming "Run like little girls! Ahh!"

Magneto watches than turns to Cloak and Dagger "Tyrone and Tandy both live and well I see."

Tyrone or Cloak gives a less pleased look though all his looks were this manner "Why do you come here bothering us again? We warned we did not want anything to do with the Brotherhood!"

"I'm not only a member of the Brotherhood I am now leader of the X-men."

"What!" Dagger is startled but Cloak makes the remark "What is it the end of the world or something?"

"Sadly it may just be." Magneto creates a larger skiff to take the children and two others "Come with me to the Baxter Building I have much to tell the two of you."

* * *

Iron Man lands through the roof but his suit has several damaged points. Stepping off slowly and holding his side only the sound of buzzing makes him turn. Three large creatures standing like men but with two long twigs like legs, arms, and an extra set of middle limbs move from the roof on the floor. Their heads were with long fanged tubes similar to a leach so as they closed their mouths dripped a hideous acid. "Damn, when a guy needs a fly swatter but can't find one…" the roof collapses on the three bug men. Iron Man pants a little relieved. 

"He makes one." Said a deep voice with a sound of machinery resting. Another Iron Man, rather one of black armor where the red should be, and white where the gold was stood arms crossed. This was War Machine a similar Iron Man unit but worn by the best friend of Tony Starks, James Rhodes. His other difference is this armor has a large pack on its back and two cannons energized through the pack.

Iron Man has no time to become appreciative he moves towards the other room "We need to move to the Baxter Building. How are…" He was answered by a strange growling sound like a woman screaming loudly mixed in a roar. The next thing his metallic form is straight on the floor with a set of green feline eyes matching the feline fur but human body. "Oh… Hi Tigra."

Tigra smiles her feline fangs now sitting on Iron Man's stomach she lays her chin on the other arm. Her orange fur was stripped with black markings as her name implies she is a cross of human and tiger. This woman has a black top and bottom letting her stomach bare she allows her tail to slowly trail over her stomach than Iron Man's. A slight purr and Tigra winked before flashing her razor claws over Iron Man's face though it does no good. She stands now brushing her deep orange colored hair cut short with the front tufted up strangely like a V or wings. "You left us to die you son of a human."

"Well… I am a human and son of one too. Technically so were you before that group of priests saved your life with that ritual?"

"Do you dare give me that?" She stomps her foot on Iron Man making him cringe while her awesome strength began to show through. "The team needed you but you abandoned us!"

"Shit happens!" Iron Man is saved by his other ally a man in purple gear and gray armor shoulder pads. His belt and knees had an H on them and looking from his head brace and mask with the bare blonde hair parted from the middle to each side this man smiles warmly "Not usually my place to ask but what took you so long?"

"Well Hawkeye the mess was something of a big one." Iron Man is let up, but Tigra stiffs her nose up. She was now strutting to Hawkeye giving a more agitated look through her side glance. "You see… hell I can't explain it now. I need you all to hook up in one of my old trucks as for me," Iron Man pulls off a white cloth showing some large menacing metal suit with 'Hulk Buster' labeling it "I have to get some things settled up."

* * *

The alley was empty with some rats skirmishing over some debris. A loud explosion and some loose debris came close to crushing one rodent but the chain narrowly saves this life. The rodent had stopped to look seeing only the red cape it hurries again. Spawn was looking from his spot on a roof for several moments at a home to the other side of the block. He narrows his eyes and walks slowly towards the fencing around the home. He stops half way to the door when noticing a sound of wheels rolling. What he looked for this time came from behind him. Spawn notices a fat man riding with a skateboard, "Totally Radical!" The fat man laughs jumping and then tripping he rolls along sitting on his back "Uh oh…" He jumps up pulling on the skateboard lodged into his back pants "Ah! It's like that time I went to fat camp with that former catholic priest! Ah!" 

"Would you shut up?" Spawn in his hate of the Clown nearly attacks but Clown is squeezing his bowels trying to get the board out. Spawn is even more disgusted as the board suddenly disappears, "Ah!" Spawn shook his head in shame when Clown rolled on the floor screaming. Eventually Clown vomited the board out to soon smile widely.

Spawn moves to the door again "I wouldn't go in there Crispy. I said this reality has your other self as an accountant not some commando serial killer. He had a good life with even a little girl not you." Spawn ignores pushing open the door "Don't say I didn't warn you."

Spawn enters the home searching to find a family picture of a man that was himself, a woman that once his wife, and the child recently born called Morgan. He next notices the blood spattered walls. On the floor his eyes are wide with terror from the motionless form of his former wife Wanda. A beautiful woman looks at him in nothingness with blood dripping her ripped open chest. Over the couch Spawn steps to see the man of his own self Al Simmons, in this world he was an accountant. He now was dead and lost like his wife torn apart and slightly devoured. Down the halls Spawn finds that blood trails the walls in strange patterns where holes pluck the wall and drip from slight blood. He moves to the room at the far end, the child… "Morgan?"

Opening the door…

Searching the room…

Seeing the crib…

"Son of a bitch!" Spawn raises his gun and fires repeatedly on the figure within. It stood on a long spine like body with ribs bending out and some blue flesh slightly covering and flapping loosely. The beast screams as bullets tear more of its ragged flesh; it has eight arms that bend in segmented crab like pincers the top ones larger than the bottom ones following. It has a bullet shaped head of blue fleshy scaled disgust, two red eyes glow and from the large mouth drips the blood still fresh within the crib. Spawn is lost in rage, disgust, and hate. The beast is torn into many bits and its one set of middle arms have been blown clean off. The beast swishes on its remaining legs and swings the long bottom half of its spiny body showing a set of spiked bones towards a balm at the tail's end. Spawn is struck and looses the gun so the beast leaps out a window its claws digging up the walls and dirt leave trails of fresh blood. The beast is trying to scurry in escape but Spawn would not allow this. He breaks from the wall and tries charging his one arm with green energy. Firing a beam of hell power the beast is able to dodge and allude to a sewer where Spawn goes to intervene but turning into the sewer he sees nothing. The beast swam under the waters and he lost it… "Damn!"

Clown is smiling as he picks his teeth with something, a toothpick or perhaps bone "It wasn't your kid."

"Yes it was!" Spawn is screaming in rage "This was the life I wanted! The life I deserved! I could have had this life! This could have been mine!" Spawn sends out his rage on a car tossing it far over head into another where they explode. Clown merely stretches a little "Well this wasn't your life. However you want to get these guys back? Make them all suffer?" Clown hobbles over smiling wickedly "The Baxter Building. Go there and you'll find our good old friends of the good-guy variety!"

Spawn turns more to the alley "I need time…" He shakes his head free of his rage "Time to be ready. I can't fight without my mind clear."

"Whatever you say kid I'll be off then!" Clown begins boarding away but he screams as he falls "Not again!"

* * *

Raven had no idea how taxing this was going to be. Luckily she had someone waiting for her. When she arrived this person had given her a drink which quickly gave her back her senses. Raven eventually notices a fully armored man; his red crimson armor covers every inch with even a helmet with a dragon like cover and faceguard. He turns to her with his height towering her lying on the floor "You certainly gave me a scare." 

"You were expecting me." Raven was trying to stand but still tired she falters only to be snatched by her scruff and tossed into a chair. "I expected the possibility someone may come looking for me that's all. In case that happened I have some special items to help them on their feet."

Raven tries again and this time she does stand up. This man gave no concern as he moved to something else. "Are you Evils Angel?" The man has frozen, turning he says "What do you want?"

"I need your help. A demon called Akaige has come to our world and is causing unbelievable damage."

"So what these things happen all the time."

"I heard you can stop him and that you are one of the elders left."

The man in armor chuckles, "Well you're half right. The elder demons were all destroyed from the more power hungry lord demons all through hell's back alleys. Most were defeated and replaced by the more zealous demons out there. I'm only alive now because I'm trapped in this tomb for all eternity."

"Trapped?" Raven was confused "I thought I could free you."

"If you could than your magic would be the most profound I ever known. The one who trapped me was a powerful mage called Trigon."

"Trigon?" Raven looks at her feet "He was my father."

The man in armor has a slight shift of his body. "I see…" He stands up and leans his head back "Well this is an awkward moment. The daughter of the demon who trapped me seeks my assistance." Raven was strangely feeling light headed her legs loose strength and she falls to the floor. When it hits her that her recent acquaintance was doing this to her it was already too late. The man in armor walks over and lays his index and middle fingers on his forehead and her chakra. His slight groans were intrigued "You sure do have a strong soul-force but something in your mind is holding you back. Let's see just what we can find…"

* * *

Snowy fields rise and fall within woods of beautiful evergreens covered lightly from snowfalls before. Batman investigates a singular tree in his all white outfit with no mouth piece like before now he's covered completely in his climate-suit. "You know I know you're here." 

The others look more confused as Batman stood looking at a limb that shook a little before resting. Sabretooth asks "Are you okay?"

"He knows I found him." The others really get freaked but Red X shows himself annoyed "I hate when people do that."

"You are here friend Red X… um, I mean criminal friend Red X?"

"I couldn't stay in the Watchtower it's full of super heroes. I'm a criminal, one they really can't like having around."

Batman now moves straight past Red X "You think we liked having you instead?"

Red X glares on this hero and knew that this one was more on him and his secret agenda. Either way it didn't matter he was there and had no problems staying. Sabretooth took lead though Batman gave more than enough arguments on their plans. "I think looking around is a great idea but where to begin with?"

"How the hell would I know?" Sabretooth pulls on Colossus who already turned metallic "Where are we kid?"

"I do not know for sure but the city near here is quite an old one." He moves to a cliff and looks out slightly horrified "My word what happened here?"

The city was completely ruined but it could not have been recent this happened some time ago. There were recent renovations but most of this damage seemed pre-marked. Shadow Kat the other X-man, but a girl is freezing in this climate with her normal suit. The sound of screaming and they all rush, Kat is stuck in her tracks so Colossus asks "Magneto said your powers work in conjunction to mine why not try it?"

"S-sure!" Kat phases and inside Colossus she giggles "This is weird but I can't feel the cold."

"I know in this form I feel nothing. Not bullets or icy cold truth is this metal covers even my eyes!"

"Really?" Kat pops her head out of his "That would get annoying."

"Yes so does a girl coming out of my head." She blushes before phasing inside his body again. Colossus scrambles to see what was happening and some woman was fighting a large glowing amoeba like monster with a red X over the nucleus. Colossus is quickly struck with the woman's name but her outfit of a skintight blue outfit and light pale blue button less vest confused him. This woman had to be around eighteen or so, short frumpy hair with pale white blue color matches the gloves over her sleeves leading onto her mid-bicep muscle and boots that came to her mid-calf with fur trimming all the way from the top and to the ankle. Her eyes were chillingly blue and if not enough as she swung her hands the frozen tundra quickly projected ice spikes on the monster attacking her.

Colossus leaps in screaming and in his masterful strength he soon begins striking the monster cell with no resolve but to save the woman. Red X was going in for his blade weapons but Batman pulls him back "Hold it!" He shows his utility belt flashing with strange numbers on one device attached through a pocket "That thing is radioactive! Unless you want to glow in the dark keep some distance!"

Starfire with her eyes glowing emerald screams in a charge and slam of her hands. The monster roars up before crashing down. "Why can she fight close like that?"

"She's an alien not kept to our physiology." Sabretooth snorts with the Batman explanation "She's lucky."

The monster is slammed by the metal fists, sparked with star bolts, and eventually the icy attacks of the stranger cause the beast to retreat. Starfire is first to squeal in mirth the victory soon followed in leaps and screams by their newest friend. The two girls part and quickly the ice girl begin asking "How did you get that adorable skirt?"

"This?" Starifire twirls in her mid float, "Why it is a normal apparel, I ponder where must I seek these feat-wear with the furry upper calf, friend?"

"What? These are my favorite ones! Thank you for the compliment!"

Sabretooth begins rubbing his temples "Just what I needed fashion coordinated team mates."

The young woman sees Sabretooth and screams before hugging him, "He has such cute fangs and eyes, like a kitten!"

"The hell off me!"

Colossus pulls off the girl and moves them apart "Tora, what on earth are you doing here? This is not Scandinavia… is it?"

"Het, my friends. This is a territory far from my homeland more to the Russian collective. I came here on a simple mission to learn the dealings of a monster which you saw me facing. Sadly, as I was on my way to report the monster was the least of my worries as a strange military group has suddenly arrived in the city and has begun taking people as hostages."

"What! How can this be?" Colossus was stricken with fear as his mind seeks one name to one person here, "Illyana, is she with the others or…"

"I am sorry but she was taken. I saw it with my own eyes as did I see… your brother."

"Mikhail? He is alive? He was killed years ago in the accident of a space launch."

"Het my friend he lives and… leads this force."

Colossus was looking gravely, "Mikhail is leading this military group?"

The sound of stomping and all the heroes begin to find themselves being surrounded by men in armor and holding rifles. Starfire is the one noticing a familiar figure, "Dr. Light?"

Dr. Light was with these men as well as Madame Rouge. "Raven!" Dr. Light is startled but realizing it was Star he leaves his breath free "I was scared there a moment I thought you were going to eat me…" Light shakes as he mumbles "Can't sleep… Raven will eat me…"

"Don't be stupid heir doctor we have work to do." Madame has a slight smirk when Colossus steps forward "Who are we the hero of the group?"

"Is it true you work for a Mikhail Rasputin?"

"Yes, you know him? He is a magnificent mutant with dimensional warping powers and control over unused energy between realities. That and his being experimented on by the soviet government gave him a new look on this world's life."

"My brother is… alive."

"He's your brother? What a lucky boy meeting both your brother and a revolutionary person in one day." She crossed her arms and the soldiers raise their guns "I suggest you come quietly."

Sabretooth looks around and sees only one escape, "Ice girl!" Tora looks over and moves his head to the icy cliff. She nods and channeling her powers the cliff cracks to break them off from the mountain so they slide down away from the military force. Madame watches them escape and snarls "This is going to be one of those days I can see it already."

* * *

Japan, a land of marvel was now a land of disasters. In the brief moment Rogue, Pyro, Gambit, J'onn, and Beast Boy appeared they found themselves surrounded with people and creatures running, screaming, and attacking each other. Rogue is so swept up she took the role of leader, "Pyro! Use those darn flames on these things!" 

Pyro sees several fires near them so he begins forming flame lions that attack in his thought. He was a pyrokinetic and could form flames into life and in any way make fire act to his whims. Gambit pulls out a full deck of cards, looking around he finds several creatures took them to notice after the stunt. "Don't like the game? Deal you a better hand mon amie!"

In united bouts the heroes began facing off the demon forces collected here. After no real time at all the few demons destroyed were all left while survivors began a retreat. Rogue smiled a little at their running away and Gambit slowly trailed to her, he noticed her levitating in the air bobbing and weaving with her new powers then launching devastating punches that nearly broke their opponents "Woo-wee, you make this old boy remember his home. Hot and sweaty with the lovely grace of the most twisted waterway."

"Whatever." Rogue floats past him and asks J'onn where to go him being a psychic. He scans but finds little worth while until a mind screams out in pain, physical dying pains. "Someone this way needs us now!"

That someone was actually holding his stomach with a large wound in it. The ninja from before, Ryu, now had a sever wound with his two female companions badly beaten. Ryu was looking at his attacker, the yellow ninja Scorpion, knelt on one leg with the harpoon held over his eyes horizontally the sickening trail of blood dripping on its sharp edge. The white soulless eyes narrow as Ryu pulls a long katana and charges. The two speed on each other and in a flash of their weapons the two skid to a halt, each on knee opposite to the other. The two girls awoke slowly to see the final strikes and finally notice Ryu has fallen on his side. The girl in blue, Kasumi, runs over and kneels with Ryu. "Oh no! Why did you have to fight this monster?"

Ryu was coughing in his blood Ayane slowly stood to see Scorpion grabbing at his mask but pulling it up he removes his face showing a skull for his true head now catching in flames. Ayane screams to Kasumi but she really didn't care. Ryu didn't spit up blood he merely laid in her arms. "You know… I always loved you…"

Scorpion screams and his mouth sends a flow of fire on his opponents. The flames are so strong they swirl in a strange fire tornado that in its force shatters the charred forms inside. Ayane is stuck in horror at seeing the two shattered and destroyed. This was the same horror that took her as a rope like item swings around her wrapping her arms, legs, and neck so that she was stuck on her knees twisting from the figure behind her. Scorpion has his other hand fastening his mask while holding the third ninja. His harpoon from the other hand slowly peels from his palm and it too in a mystical life moves around his hand three times before laying into his palm like a knife. Ayane is crying in her friend's deaths while asking "Why did you do this? What gives you the rig…," A swipe of his hand over her throat and a small river of crimson spills on the street. The blood sputtered onto his chest and face a little as he released her causing the girl's body to fall forward. Standing tall Scorpion sheaths his harpoons into his hands before rolling his shoulders and grunting satisfied with the latest kill. "_Fatality."_

Scorpion begins to leave but the sound of some rocks shifting and he catches from his corner eye the heroes standing on the top of a dirt mound. He had such a horrid stare when looking on them all here but merely pulls off one of the drones from his waist tossing them. The drone was Smoke the gray drone and as it creates a smoke screen Gambit pulls several of his cards to toss and cause some sparks in the smoke. Pyro gets an idea and channels the flames from Scorpion's one attack as a sort of spear. Tossing it on the sparks he screams "Where there's smoke there has to be fire!"

Scorpion growls lowly as the drone explodes with little fragments littering around him. Pulling off the other drone, Sektor, Scorpion tosses him and lets this one try its luck. Sektor scans the heroes and opens the chest firing missiles as before. Gambit pulls out one card, the Ace of spades, tossing it one missile follows and blows. Pyro creates a ball with his flamethrowers relaying the other missile. J'onn flew directly into the path of the third missile making it follow him higher into the air and strafing back he stops in front of Sektor. "You should be advised I am capable of altering my form." J'onn turns to an invisible non-solid self whom allows the missile to pass thru and blows Sektor apart. "Case in point."

Scorpion shook his head while the heroes began cheering. "_Idiots…"_

A flash of fire and Scorpion disappears he was done with those others anyway. Even so the heroes felt things were going pretty good on the mission sadly they didn't know just what was in store still.

* * *

"Tenchi…" The woman's voice echoes in the man's mind, "Tenchi…" His eyes open slowly seeing the princess of Jurai Ayeka over him crying slightly "Oh lord Tenchi, you are safe and sound." She sat up and rubs her eyes from the tears "I was so frightened you may never return to us." 

Tenchi pushed himself up and noticed the two log guards floating near Ayeka, Washu had a machine that created a field around the ones together, but Ryouko and Sasami were missing along with his father and grandfather. "Where are the others?"

"Sorry but when I put up the field Sasami and Ryouko were here but disappeared soon after you fell unconscious. Ryouko went looking for them, your father and grandfather are missing I didn't get the chance to raise the shield with them." Ryouko walks in with a blank stare. "Did you find any of them?"

"I couldn't find Sasami but I did find the others." She lowers her head as Tenchi realized what her face meant, "They didn't… make it."

"What?" Ayeka grabs Tenchi tightly "Are you sure?"

"What kind of damned question is that?"

"Washu." Tenchi rubs his head still confused but he knew this was not the time. Things were still dangerous and they needed out of here now. "Will this force field last much longer?"

"I figure but we need to get a move on. Jurai sent a message that they want us to rendezvous with them as soon as possible with the princesses or princess."

"What do you mean by that?"

"The Jurai Elders have taken into account that there are two princesses and chances may be they both can't survive this matter. However, if both die here they will never have anything to do with this world again."

Tenchi nods "I understand Washu do you think you have any idea where Sasami may have gone?"

"I do… but I'm not sure if this will work out."

* * *

Sasami ran far into the streets ignoring the obvious danger. After it happened she waited for the others to be occupied and escaped. She took the small creature Ryo-ohki with her but even this didn't change the fact monsters terrorized a good part of the city. She came to the doorway of the home she was looking for and takes a breath before knocking at the door. The door falls over and she is startled, a large guitar inches on her head so she ducks and covers. "Stop!" Sasami opens her eyes slowly seeing Haruko with Naota and Canti. Naota pushes forward asking "What in the world are you doing here?" 

"I heard that Jurai was going to send ships here to help and I wanted you to come with me!" Sasami grabs his wrist "Please it is the only chance we have!"

"Hold it!" Haruko pulls on the other arm "Naota is going with me! You can go somewhere else and find a boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" Naota is about to contest this but Sasami and Haruko begin butting heads "Listen lady you know this wasn't half as bad until you got here maybe you should mind your own business!"

"Little girls should play with dolls than get in big girls ways, squirt!"

Naota looks up at Canti who looks at him and shrugs. "You're telling me…"

"Naota!" Naota looks up seeing Ninamori. He is blushing when she slams into him hugging him so tightly that he looses his breath. Haruko and Sasami turn on this with undermining glares. "I was so scared after the hospital. I thought maybe it was a dream but its real monsters are destroying the city! What are we supposed to do?"

"You're not normally so upset Ninamori."

"There's monsters tearing the city apart Naota!" Ninamori shakes him hard "This isn't a time for me to be cool and derivative we need to get out of here!"

Naota sighs as she was right and hearing footsteps he finds his father at the doorway "How's grandfather?"

"He'll be fine I think I should stay here with him while you and the others go get help." Naota's father pushes his glasses up on his nose "I hope you understand what I'm saying Naota."

"Dad…" Naota lowered his head but with a shaky smile he hugs his father "I'll get them all out of here safely."

"I'm sure you will my son." Naota's father moves on Haruko "You know I'd like a kiss before you leave, or maybe a little more if…" A boxing glove slams him through the wall "What have I told you old man!"

* * *

"Wow…" This girl with flat hair and a camera takes the shot of a burning building. She had on some school uniform and walking along like it was normal she really did not fit. Her name is Samejima Mamimi and her previous relationship was as Naota's girlfriend, or rather she took Naota in place of his brother. The age difference never bothered her as she was 17 and Naota was 12 then again she had a mentality quite low for her age. Even now as the city burns Mimi was less than frightened more excited as she was a pyromaniac. Turning under a bridge she finds two people are already here so she stood and listened to them. One was a very young boy with large glasses and slightly spiked brown hair. He sighs as the girl with him was a teen who had her hair back behind her ears and very long, they both had clothing but wore brown blankets around them by the looks of it they survived a terrible fire. "Rachel trust me its okay now. We just have to wait for the army or… something." 

"My father…" Rachel was starting to cry as it was obvious he didn't make it out of the fire. The young boy sighs but in a desperate attempt he snaps "You think he'd want you to sit here like this? The great Richard Moore, waiting to die, he's not going to want to see his daughter loosing herself in pity! He was a top class detective no way he'd give up so easily!"

Rachel looks on her younger friend and slightly acknowledges what he said "I understand Conan, I just need a small rest."

Conan was in truth her boyfriend when he was a teen as well, but things got strange after some criminals drugged the teen genius detective leaving him to die but instead he became a child again. His mind is as sharp as ever and Conan would usually use his abilities to help his adoptive role with his former girlfriend and her father to expand their business secretly. Now though expanding business may not be a problem since their more worried on escaping.

Conan sees the girl and he seems thrilled, running up he asks "Um, excuse me but are you by chance part of a res…" She pinched his cheek and tugged it making Conan yelp "Hey what's wrong with you?"

"You're not one of them are you?" She lets go and Conan is confused "Their more ugly and slightly less human looking."

"What are you talking about?"

"You don't know?" She smiles at him shaking his head "Oh, here I'll show you!"

Mimi as she also was called quickly pulled Conan to the other side of the bridge and looked over the horizon. She spots something and points "There's one right now aren't they ugly?"

Conan looks over to where she points and freezes, this creature with lower back smaller than its upper back walks with the upper body hunched higher off the ground than the lower, and its head a strange one horned toad like thing with hair falling of the sides in ragged condition. "What is that thing? Some kind of alien?"

Mimi began to explain what had happened. From what she heard the news says these things were the same kind of monsters that killed Superman. Conan now remembers the broadcast and if that is the case they were demons from some other world. The whole world was struck with these monsters terrorizing any living people. Conan sighs as he sat down "Man those things are real live demons. I don't know what we can do now."

"Demons? Then maybe I know what to do!" She takes a deep breath and screams "Lord Canti, angel of the purifying flame! Head my call and come to us!" Conan jumps up and looks to see the toad monster was coming their way now. "Shut up you idiot!"

"Lord Canti, please come to us and protect us from evil! Save us from the darkness of our own souls and defeat the evil fire lord, Hades!"

The toad demon was running full speed but a flash of fire consumes the monster and leaves it as ash. The three look as the flames are soon draining into the back of a being that descended from the sky. The flames drain into his back like a set of wings and his body has covering of black armor and metal buckles all charred black only covering over the forms of his muscular form. Though all flame this man like figure wore something to simulate his face a mask of pure white with the red sun symbol of the Japanese land, and the lower jaw was missing forming a strong frown under the upper lip. Two strong eyes look on the girl and Mimi was starry eyed, "Lord Canti?"

The flame man spoke with a strong voice, "I am Shiro not Canti."

"Shiro?" She shrugs "Shiro is Lord Canti's true name?"

"No…" She was going to hug him but he puts up his hand, Mimi nods saying "I am sorry Shiro-sama I was forgetful that your flames will burn the sinful."

Conan didn't believe this was some angel of flame but maybe something else. When he looked the man over he did recognize the possibility he may be a certain mutant he once read about called, Sunfire.

* * *

Robin throws a satchel into the T-ship full of his devices, some tech for Cyborg, and even several things Raven, B.b., and Star would like. It was a moment of nostalgia when he dropped something, the picture of the team after they first joined together with the T-Tower in the background only slightly built. He had to chuckle at this when the alarm sounds. Robin runs to the hangar and sees denting; he pulls out his staff weapon and readies to fight but the hangar breaks letting a large hairy teen with black and gold outfit screaming "Gain way!" 

Robinleapt at the teen but he's ignored while a large skull with spider legs chased him inside, "I said gain way, stupid!"

The skull creature has large fangs which it chomps on Robin; he wedged his legs into the two fang jaws before plucking the staff into the throat making it widen the mouth so Robin could vault back. The skull monster screams with Robin next to the hairy teen, "Mammoth what are you doing here?"

Mammoth picks up a heavy crate and smashes it over the skull monster, "Running for my life!"

The skull creature was going to attack but pink like sickles ripped in its back. The creature shatters and a young black dressed girl with pink hair and eyes, her hands glowing in pink energy screams "Thanks for the support Mammoth!"

"Sorry Jinx I got a little preoccupied when that thing chased me."

A small boy with no hair, goggles over his eyes, and a green jumpsuit flew in on a jetpack, "Crud-spewer you need to stop being so stupid!"

"What was that tiny?" The two make a move on each other but another villain teen pops up from nowhere, Kid Wicked was a remarkable similarity to Batman of the Justice League with shadow powers not quite strong as Raven but reasonably powerful. His stare on them both made the squabbling cease back down. Wicked as he often went by steps to the background while the louder member in all red and similar to Flash of the JL came is screaming, "Woo-wee, that there feller was a wild hombre! Glad we could put him down after the crap he pulled earlier."

The last member a black teen with green and gray came in, he had a large eye slowly sinking into his head from the cycloptic eyewear he had "So far they keep crowding the city did you ask him yet?"

"Ask?" Robin was confused "Ask me what?"

Jinx gave a snarl to the boy called Seeymore, "What's going on here and maybe if you could help us get out of the city."

Robin gave his confused brow but agrees "The world has come under attack by some demonic force called the Kagejin. I can't go into detail but as for leaving I do need some help driving the T-ship."

The Hive crew gave looks but Jinx had the most distaste "I can't believe we have to join this loser. Could this get any…?" Another figure comes in a rushed blur but speeding to a stop Robin blinks before screaming "Kid Flash!"

"Hey Rob, so what you and the Titans been up to?" He speeds over to the door and points outside "Anyone else noticed the city full of creepy-crawlies?" His eyes noticed Jinx and he disappears out the door and when returning he passes her leaving a rose before at the door he pushes off his elbow "So Raven was it? You look much prettier without that hood on."

"Uh…" Jinx was blushing but Robin points out "She's Jinx from the Hive group."

"Actually, we're the Hive 5!"

"Really?" Kid Flash was in red and white only letting his red haired top from the otherwise covering type mask. "If you're the Hive 5… why are there 6 of you?"

The villains look at one another, Mammoth shrugs "It sounds cooler?"

"That, and Sinister Six was taken."

Robin has jumped into the T-ship "Hey we need to get going! I have to return to the Watchtower as soon as possible."

"Watchtower? The place where the Justice League is? I don't think that's a good idea."

Kid Flash shrugs "Why not? I'm sure a nice girl like you will make all sorts of friends."

Jinx gives a glare before flipping her finger causing his mask to turn backwards "Who asked you?" She looked over the ship and saw four other spots to sit, one slightly filled with stuff but she could fit. "I'll take that spot there, Billy and Wicked can share one spot," Billy screamed a yee-haw while Wicked shook his head. "Mammoth and Gizmo you both sit together on this one and are… well, don't be too bad." Mammoth gave a glare but Gizmo pulls out a game boy, "Ooh, Game Boy!"

"Don't worry Jinx I got this one covered."

"Glad to hear it. I guess Seemore and Speedy here can house together."

"Sorry but I'm not feeling up to this Jinx could I get the seat with the luggage?"

"…." Jinx raises a brow "What?"

"I looked over the ship and the front seat with the luggage is also important I think I'm more suited to drive that one."

Jinx shook her head but Kid Flash buckled himself in the seat "Hey we better get going!" He pats the side of the seat with a more than willing tone "Room for one more."

"Oh for the love of…" Jinx sits in the seat looking to the outside away from Kid Flash. The others get in and Robin drives the ship towards the Watchtower sighing 'I hope that Raven is okay especially with the kind of villain she's with.' The sights of Wicked pushing his face on the window wishing to escape the loud mouthed Billy Numerous, Jinx ignoring the obvious flirting of Kid Flash though on some level she did like it, Gizmo rolling from Mammoth bouncing and bashing his game, and Seemore typing on the dials as he is shuffled in luggage Robin groans while thinking, 'I might take Slade over these guys.'

* * *

Slade has a devious glare on the item of his attention, "All this time I've waited so long and hard for the day I'd have you at my will. Nothing can hold me back now from realizing my goal…" Slade holds out his two cards as the small Sha-lah looks on their backs "Pick your card." 

The Sha-lah taps a card and Slade is still. He narrows his eye before leaving the card down showing it was a three of diamonds. Slade sighs while dropping his joker card, "Old maid," the many Sha-lah screamed with their king "Sha-lah!"

Slade starts shuffling the cards growling "Let's play some damn poker."

Slade notices Raven now shifting on the hard stone floor. He feels an uneasy feeling but he had no choice. Right now Raven was on her own fighting whatever she was. He would do as he was asked and protect the girl while she was gone. Until then he just had to wait a task he found with these small creatures very taxing… "Taxing, Sha-lah!"

* * *

Raven took it all in with great stunned awe. This was a kingdom of sorts with a mystical and technological wonder, the place of her blood, Azarath. With the people moving on the streets mostly floating but others running, mostly the young run; Azarath was filled with marvels none could truly depict in words for the mind of Raven it all was her home. The sight of a small girl walking towards the central spire and Raven recognizes the white robes of her own youth, the girl turned and yes it was her younger self entering into the spire. Raven followed heatedly in pursuit as her younger self went to the top of the spire and followed to some library Raven even when she was young had an ongoing love for knowledge. When her younger self was gone she heard some other voices in the halls, these voices were her mother and someone else. Raven slowly floats to this room and opens the door finding her mother talking to… Fate? 'What in the world is going on?' 


	9. When Your Lost I'll Find You 2

The Age of Akaige

By Pakkrat

Chapter 9: When Your Lost I'll Find You (Part 2)

The New York City once known and loved had been shattered. The buildings blown away, and land nearly eroded, it seemed a massive land of nightmares is all that was left of a city where heroes used to unite in one banner. That was befitting as nightmares seemed to own the city now. They have collected into small groups and larger groupings, either sharpening or forging weaponry. Their entrances came normally with weapons, but some made crude weapons from their old ones breaking with the taxing of their steel. Most the creatures that were in this landscape had human like qualities covered in blackened armors, and some bone like decorative armor. One sat in a squatted position outside the camp, looking over the land with his eyes scanning all. He sees in the sky flying a large serpent, his smile of twisted fangs glimmers upon his face once, and he turns yelling back "The lord approaches! Sound the men in recognition you fools!"

The many demons had collected and began screaming, roaring loudly with their masters coming. On the large serpent as his steed Akaige lands to allow the other demon generals, Lokio, Kireshk, Gordaio, and Gaikotsu, to jump off the serpent's scaled back as Akaige sat upon the head's neck-joist letting the mighty Serpentine rear up in exclaimed reverence in the continued crowds of congregation. Kireshk narrows his eyes at the sight of Akaige and Serpentine playing the crowds with slight uncertainty "Why does he do this I wonder?"

"He is the lord of all Kagejin." Gaikotsu muses on the sight before Akaige leaps off "He knows we are to be united in the conquest and behind his lordship. Without his greatness this entire war means little to nothing, in the grand scheme of all things."

Akaige calls the generals into his tent as Serpentine coils around it; he would be guard with his immense size, until called off to ride. The generals sit at his table of bones before Blood and Sinister enter. They sit and Akaige asks "_Any news of the shield?"_

"It is designed with the ultimate flaw of its own power source. It will last long, but not too long, for in two hours time the reserves will begin to drain, and in this time I believe we may damage the shield with large force impacts, hereby leaving it useless. Without the shield they have no true defenses, and will have to make a move to either assault us, or hold up within their final confides."

"It is a tomb!" Gordaio chuckles to the others, but Akaige holds his chin "They will have no way of escaping!"

"_Are there any ways of escape, which we do not have anticipated?"_

Blood shook his head no "We checked all the schematics; they have no means that can evacuate enough people at the same time."

"_I didn't ask that, are there any routes?"_

"No… not unless you count the roof, but who can safely come here and air lift the people inside like that?"

Akaige puts his head up into the air, while slightly thinking it over he pondered loudly "…_Safely, none can safely do such a feat but any could dangerously commit this act."_

Kireshk laughs a moment under his breath, "Who would be foolish enough to do such a thing?"

"Hm," Gordaio rubs his bald head back from sweat "Don't be fooled mortals can do some crazy things… when it comes to survival."

"_Indeed." _Akaige stands up and moves to the flaps, looking out Serpentine uncoils to show the Baxter Building ahead of them "_However, this is a new stage in the war. We will not attack the fortress, but rather wait."_

"Why not strike now? If you say strong impacts will destroy the field's reserve, why not the main energy?" Kireshk is sighed upon by Sinister, "The field is designed for that very attack, we must instead wait for their reserves since that will be the time to drain the shield as it will be weak, and only then at its weakest will force blows affect them."

"_And we shall wait Sinister; in the mean time are there any survivors we did not kill? Humans of which were not feasted upon yet?"_ Sinister and Blood nod to which Akaige laughed to himself oh so darkly, "_Then bring them to the nearest point you can towards the Baxter Building," _Akaige gives a darker look on his objective "_also get some speakers and perhaps an amplifier…"

* * *

_

The large suit flew through the deserted streets tugging along a large truck of weaponry, and the friends he knew in the front, bouncing as they jumped on small debris. Iron Man had to get to the Baxter building, especially since he knew reinforcements won't be coming soon… if ever. "Attention, this is Iron Man, if anyone at the Baxter Building can hear me, please respond, over."

Spider Man heard loud and clear through the suit he got. "Iron Man? I hear you so what is going on?"

"I have a truck filled with weapons and ammo, along with three of my friends. We need access inside the complex, and we need it soon because I can't stop once I'm spotted up ahead."

"Okay, I'll see what I can do!" Spiderman rushes over to Mr. Fantastic, "I need access for the street now!"

"Why?"

"Iron Man is headed in with weapons, he can't stop with all those things out there or he'll be ripped to bits, if we don't go now we may never get a chance!"

Mr. Fantastic understands so he flips a switch opening a hangar door, behind the door Punisher was sitting and smoking his cigarette as the door opened "Hey, what's going on?" He now finds the field dropping… and something large makes its way to the hangar door, 'Holy shit!' He rolls out of the way as the large thing crashes into the opposite wall, and a truck latched onto the thing wedges it in tightly. Punisher stood up and found something running on them, a large group of the demons had begun attacking, so Punisher pulls out two guns releasing a spray of bullets as the beasts closed in. One demon, something like a blackened skeletal zombie hyena thing, ran and strafed through the bullets, about to pounce on Punisher until a large metallic tentacle wrapped the beast crushing its back and tossing it to the mainstream of monsters again. "You should be more careful." Spoke the man in a long brown coat, with his four metal tentacles flapping around before they pull the hangar door shut tightly. "I would hate to have someone like yourself, killed so soon."

Punisher puffs his cigarette as Doctor Octavius, or Doc. Ock, swiped away the smoke with human hands. The hangar began to open and both are chilled as demons began pushing open the door, "Why the hell didn't it lock?"

Mr. Fantastic tries to set the locks but for some reason this incident broke them "We can't lock the hangar! Those things are going to flood straight into the building!"

The hangar door was forced up, and stepping forward was one demon that looked like some undead mess with his face burnt away, except the one remaining eye, the skeletal nose, and his long fanged jaw which let some tongue swirl around his chin in bloodlust. He pries from his sheath on his back a long sword, while the other demons begin to follow inside. Punisher and Doc Ock stand a little less happy with the situation, even if Tigra, War Machine, Hawkeye, and Iron Man came into their backs. "Is that all you humans have?" spoke the skeletal demon, which played role of leader for this troop.

The sight of several more figures did seem to lessen the demons attitude, as a fully red covered devil looking man walks out with a double D insignia upon his chest, this was Daredevil. Several other heroes known as the protectors of this city soon followed, but the appearance of two new figures truly caught the demons. One was a white cloaked figure in armor; whose eyes pierced the soul in sheer stunned enigma, Rorek was his name. The other in his long red coat, knelt with sword out on the field, his head slightly tilted, and those eyes of his sparked in red energy letting his eyes turn a shade of crimson, Dante was his name. The demon who was at the front sees his partners put some distance between him and the heroes, turning back he gulps "Uh oh…"

The battle cry, the heroes charge, and the demons begin retreat or some fight back with these legendary fighters. Dante had his speed of the demon, and strength of ancestral father Sparda to aid his quest. Rorek weaves between many weapons to have the demons surround him, his eyes gleam with the spell before striking his staff across the ground, causing the shockwave to shatter away those who were his enemies. The lead demon had fallen on his back, and merely held up his sword before a metal tentacle cracked the sword, then choked the demon before tossing it to the far distance. Akaige steps over to the demon, as it started to stand it tries to voice in its confused daze "We need reinforcements."

Akaige looks down before unsheathing his sword, and swiping the blade with speed unseen, the sword is returned to the lord's back and latched while the demon's head falls clean off. "_I don't remember ordering us to attack."_ He sheathes the sword, and turns on Gaikotsu "Should we try to get our men sir or perhaps take the fortress?"

"_No, look on the roof."_ Gaikotsu sees the fog covering the roof "_Let them hide in their little fort… all the more pleasure to tare it down,"_ Akaige passes the smiling visage of Gaikotsu, finishing, "_with them inside."

* * *

_

The fog cover disappears and Magneto has sparks over his eyes. He moves the many turrets, and forces them to fire on the demons that were trying to escape. He did not want any mercy, on this enemy he knew exactly what they were like. They would stop at nothing, to kill the weak, to kill their prey, and that was how he would treat the enemy, if he must… as he must. On the ground, Punisher saw the door has begun closing again "Hey, get back to the base!"

A monster scrambles the ground; it was the same demon that killed the Simmons family. It swashes the ground, closing on Punisher who gave cover fire, but as it leaped and Punisher turned to fire, a strange green bolt strikes the monster and breaking it into two halves. The upper body keeps squirming, while the lower half was slowly twitching to death. Spawn steps his foot down, letting the creature tear on his leg with its claws and snapping out of reach with their jaw. Iron Man still in the Hulk Buster, he asks while passing Spawn, "You find what you were looking for?"

Spawn narrowed his eyes on the still snapping beast. He points his gun firing the whole round into this thing, until all that was left is a stump, "Now… I did."

The gate closed with everyone inside, even Magneto came through the roof entrance with the others he escorted. Mr. Fantastic offers out his hand, and shakes it with Magneto, "Thanks for the help, they disabled the automated turrets, so your help, really, was marvelous timing."

"I'm glad we could be of assistance. What have you been doing all this time?"

Storm skimmed around, noticing many people huddled about and moving things here or there, they seemed only normal citizens, so she asks "Were you trying to gather all these people and escape?"

"It was the main idea, but we never expected anything like this. With those things on the streets, escape is nearly impossible. The only alternatives are air lifts now; however, the Justice League has not returned our requests."

"They will not, because there is too dangerous a chance people would be lost, and recently the league was shattered, badly."

"I see…" Mr. Fantastic let himself fall into a slight depression, but the sounds from outside awoke him. Screams echoed the halls, through the outside, and each more blood curdling than the last. Looking through the windows people were being brought onto a rooftop, and slaughtered, before a loud speaker. The screaming was so loud; no one could just ignore them. Some of the people who survived recognized their friends and family, making it maddening to see and more so hear what was happening. Rorek took the situation on himself and began chanting something, the last word echoed with his arms going out and surrounding the building with a strange charm blocking the sounds outside of its barrier. On the roof Akaige lifts his claw to stop the next killing, and he seems to watch the tower as it was glowing, "_About time things started picking up."_

People were still crying, and some were breaking down begging to go outside. It became chaotic, and the only thing left were to try and get people back on the ball, or so Dante thought so. He looked around and saw some crates, so he pulls the chair from under Flash saying, "Sorry pal I need that!" Dante swings the chair around, and somersaults onto the crates before flipping on the others by the heel, exclaiming "Yo, listen up!"

The people did not listen, most were now trying to push to the lower areas and begin breaking out. Dante pulls out two guns and fires on the doors, making people stop their running. "Listen up. Those people are dead." The people inside gave slight moans and some screams at Dante, but he screams back "LISTEN! These damn things are killing your families! You can't save them, but you can do one thing, save yourselves! If these freaks break in, we all die, and then what's next? I guess you don't care do you?" Dante points his guns on the ones at the door "I know I won't let these little you know what's kill me, but go down fighting every last one. If I were you, I'd kill as many I can… for each person I loved they took. It may sound bad, it may sound dangerous, but if you do the math, they have to do some serious shit to kill all of us!"

It strangely caused many to back from the door and stop trying to leave. Eventually, people huddled together, and cried, but they did not want to go outside, one did ask about a gun for later and Dante smirked before jumping down. Rorek was looking a bit baffled "I see that your speech worked no matter… how colorful… it may have been."

"Hey, thanks, I appreciate it pal! Now why don't you use some magic to get me a burrito or something? I'm starving." Dante walks off to check some things leaving Rorek to ponder, "Where in the heavens did I deserve this person as my warrior ally?"

Dante did step off to a corner, asking, "So who the hell are you all of a sudden, Braveheart?"

Every second now counts more than before. Mr. Fantastic left himself in thought, while Magneto, Storm, Iron Man, and Spider Man began hatching any plans as in some hours from now they would be defenseless, and this was not a spot any of them liked. Though some of these people could fight, others were too injured, or incapable of fighting to even try to make them. As Mr. Fantastic runs his hairs mixed of brown and gray, a blue haired beast named Dr. McCoy, or Beast, offered a solution. "Gentlemen, allow me to interfere with a solution."

"Oh please do, we're all on the foggiest limbs here!"

"Indeed, the way the other survivors and I of the X-mansion made it safely was the help of one particular group called the Morlocks. They're a group of mutants, hiding within the sewers, and their years allowed them knowledge of these sewers and time to make secret places to hide, as well commute. If we could find some team that could use the tunnels to reach the outside, and contact the Justice League with proper coordinates, perhaps those people could set a rescue outside the band of rogues outside's reach."

Magneto was intrigued "It sounds reasonable. They call the ships to save us, and anyone we can will be taken through the same tunnels. The ships pick up the more troubled people, while others stay to defend. Those needed for the call would have to be fast…" Magneto sees Flash who has a pale look, "You mean me?"

"Yes and perhaps…" Magneto is slightly worried but to answer in his place was Quicksilver "Don't worry, I heard the whole thing. Hey, I might get to be a hero won't that be a switch?"

"You don't have to, if you don't want to."

"Uh, I still don't want to." Flash was ignored as Quicksilver gave a thumbs up, "Looking forward to it old man. A chance to show," Quicksilver grabs some flashlights and attaches them to a belt, "just how good I really am."

Flash sighs as the two shake hands on it, "Man…"

Iron Man is one looking for a way out for the others, but he already has a feeling it will not work "Sure two guys might sneak thru, but how about several 50 or so people? Hell, maybe even a hundred could be on the injured lists! There is no way we can move them without them being seen."

Susan Richards has a defiant smirk "Actually, we can. I have the ability to cover an area with invisibility, so if they stayed together with me, I could make them all invisible as we make for an escape. It might be difficult, but with the price I think I have the incentive to keep going."

"Susan…" Reed stood, but she grabs his face "I can do this trust me."

"What about the rest of us?" Spawn has entered the fray "I understand you want to save lives, yet, what about those of us who still will be here. Those moments later and life here is doomed. If we have no means of escape, we all will suffer."

Mr. Fantastic gives some thought "For now, we use this plan, and get those we can to safety. Find Calypso, leader of the Morlocks, and have her take you through the sewers out of the city. Once there, do just what we said, and try to contact the justice league once we have their help we may survive this mess, or rather some of us may."

* * *

Starfire flung her bolts, but the soldiers who attacked kept coming. Even with Batman, and Red X using their tools, Colossus, Sabretooth, and Kitten with their mutant powers, and Ice mixing it up when she had her cold powers, all the soldiers will just keep coming.

The soldiers charge them into a strange facility door, Star turns back letting her hands glow brightly "I will not allow you to harm my friends!"

"Sorry, but this is a necessary thing girl. Your friends are enemies to General Mikhail, and so now you must be removed."

The group was scared and completely surrounded, when the doors opened up letting one solitary figure walk out in a green jacket and black pants, his hat a Russian fur hat with a red star on it, goggles shield his eyes from the snow. "I warn you men with guns… leave now, or else."

The soldiers make a move, but Madame screams "Hold your fire!" The men back up, and she steps over to them "We'll retreat for now. Mikhail wants us to return for loading duty." She whipped her hair before the turning face, and a slight turn of her cheek only added to the frustration of her face and voice "Keep out of our ways, or next time I swear we will not hold back." The soldiers begin returning and Madame took a moment to look at the man who stopped them, with her smile. The man gives a bow to the others still there "Hello, my name is Red Star."

"Red Star?" Sabretooth gives a toothy smile "About time we found you, we need to talk."

Red Star offers them a chance to come inside, so they all enter following their host. His home was some former base, which Sabretooth felt slightly annoyed as his past was the same way with a base. Eventually they are offered a seat at a table, Red Star leaves and returns with some bowls of a strange meal. The group has mixed feelings, Colossus, Ice, and Star each devour their meal, Sabretooth pokes his meal as, Kitten was wondering if she could eat this and phase the food to Colossus's stomach. Batman shrugs "Sorry, but my… mask, has no spot to eat from. No spot for my mouth means no chance of eating."

"Hey, I take that excuse… er, point." Red X has shifty eyes "Yes that does nicely."

"Can't you guys just roll up your masks?" Sabretooth is smirking but Batman growls "Batbladeatyourgroin." Sabretooth is confused, till he feels something at his lap, "Uh… never mind what I said."

"I thank you for feeding us," Star places her twelfth bowl on the table "However, why did those soldiers retreat upon your arrival?"

Red Star was slightly off about this, but he did give in. He explained the city; it was not destroyed by the demons, but rather his own power. The many things he had to go through, the source of his powers, and his ongoing curse being the greatest try for a Super Soldier. It was a tragic tale only Sabretooth could understand. "So you see why I have become secluded within this place."

Sabretooth stood up and snorts "Sure thing, but now you have to come with us."

"I ask you forgive me but I must stay here."

"Do you not wish to help your people?" Starfire floated from her stool and closed on Red Star he gave her a sad look, "It is in your eyes and face, you truly wish to help them. It is unknown what will become of them if our enemy should take them."

"I understand… but my life has been forfeit for a long time. Since the day my power crippled the city, I have lived here to protect those outside. If I leave, it will only bring pain… it is better if I stay here."

Red Star was soon caught in a heated attack of his person; Starfire claimed his will to stay was fear, fear to take responsibility, to hide from his mistakes. Her words each struck him harder than the experiments, and soon his body burns. "Please, forgive me!" Red Star ran to a large device, and screams are heard soon after it powers up, than down. When it is over Red Star exits with a tube of red substance "You see now why I must stay! If I do not many are in peril."

Red X was wide eyed as Batman looked over the tubes "This is Xinothium the purest kind you can find."  
"I had to make a copy of the belt, and now that stuff… with it I could really hit some high-end work!"

"I think you should reconsider, X, this substance may be pure but quite radioactive. If anything the suit could work you, not the other way around."

Red X shrugs, but Batman didn't give him the chance to try the Xinothium. Even so the place Red Star took the Xinothium made Red X nearly weep with a trove of the material in grasp but so far from reach, in his eyes only a bat's wing out of reach. Starfire saw Red Star doing this and she lowered her eyes "So you will stay here?"

"…." He loads the canisters "I must."

"Then not only are you a coward, but also a traitor to your very people."

Those words did not give rage, but disappointment and shame. She turns leaving and soon all the others follow. Sabretooth looks up a moment before snorting "This is a bad time for Magnus to be wrong about someone."

Outside, the team stood with the snow now falling harder than before. "It has become quite frigid, travel will be very difficult."

The sound of an engine, and the others see Red Star exiting one hangar with a snow-speeder "I thought it over, and perhaps _WE_ could get there quicker with these than by foot!"

Starfire latches onto him tightly, which he blushes from that. "Um, you must share the seats as I have few to begin with."

"Very well! I shall accompany you friend Red Star!"

Star sat behind him like it meant nothing, but her warmth on his back was not only distracting but it was also embarrassing, "Yes, well hold tightly… but not too tight."

Sabretooth took a speeder, giving a glare to the others as he didn't plan on sharing. Colossus still held Kitty in his body, though he found it odd she offered him a kind voice humming in his mind "What is that song my Kitten?"

"Huh?" She giggles "Your Kitten?"

"I meant nothing merely the song is quite nice."

"I can't remember… something like, 'Kiss from a Rose'"

Colossus nods asking "May you sing it for me? Your voice is quite beautiful for such a journey." He noticed himself slightly becoming warmer "What is that heat?"

"Oh…" Kitten phases out from his body, showing a slight blush she quickly retreats, "Nothing really."

Red X sat behind Batman, but Ice gave a look to the group "I need a ride!"

The teams all look at Sabretooth, but he wasn't willing… she however jumps on and hugs his waist "Thank you Tiger Man!"

"What!" He snarls before giving up, "I hate this mission…" She hugs tighter, "I mean, _really_ hate it."

* * *

Spirit Detective, it sounds so prestigious… but in reality it is just dirty work for the spiritual guru of all who die, Koenma. Yusuke is the spirit detective, and his job is to stop the spirit world from becoming too full, or the demons too outrageous. He failed both accounts now and, boy, he hated seeing it happen… he hated more that he has to clean this mess up. His team of partners had found themselves trying to save tons of people from horrid monsters that threatened to take their lives. As Yusuke, Kurama, and Hiei made it impossible for the demons to attack people by blocking these demons from human lives, Kuwibara, the student and friend of Yusuke made his talent to keep people moving…

"I said run or I'll break your necks!" truly his best talent at work here. This talent worked well as Kuwibara made his skill motivate the people, after forging a sword of his own spirit energy; he cut any demons that did sneak in trying to take a human. It was really a try to get survivors out, but when you get into this how far can you take all these people? Where can you take them? Hell, where can they go? Yusuke knew it was pointless in the end because tons were dying, especially while they protect these few. Even if that was the case, he had to keep trying… he had to. She, his love, if she's out there or gone would want him to. "Keiko…"

Yusuke gave a raging snarl on the demon leaping on him, and in his palm a power raises. The talent of Yusuke is his soul was able to make him unstoppable. Yusuke flung out his palm and his energy obliterates the demon, as well as several others behind it. The more he needs to protect and the greater his power became. He was only able to use the power in him when protecting those he loved, a strange talent for a boy seen as a thug and loner, though his friends were his only true possessions.

Kuwibara always felt the rivaling bond with Yusuke. Even if they fought it was more the need to keep trying to prove to the other they were inevitably equals. 'Damn Yurimeshi, he always shows off like that! If I were able to do those energy wave things… well, I'd show him a thing or two!'

The people kept marching on until they were safely on their way, wherever it may be. At this point Kuwibara makes a full turn about, and screams "They crossed the bridge!"

The bridge was a wooden one, which under it had a violent river. Yusuke turns and in several finger shots of his spirit gun, he shatters the bridge making it impossible for those demons that moved on land to follow. Any demon that flew was taken out earlier; it was their plan to get them over the bridge and out of the way, before dealing with the other monsters. "Okay…" Kuwibara takes his place next to the others, Hiei gives a discerned look "What's the plan now, detective?"

"Oh, you know, fight off a large force of monsters, and escape with our hides… not hard at all!"

The team was up against what looked like a tide of demonic creatures, ranging from tall skinny monsters to short and stubby slug like things. It sure seems hopeless but from the sky they are saved with an inferno, soon burning the monsters away into ash. With the awesome show of strength the spirit detective and his team turn skyward, and they see their fiery savior. This man of fire slowly lets a platform with two girls and a young boy down; they get off and begin greeting the newest friends. "Thanks for the help."

"Shiro-sama is very powerful, isn't he?"

Hiei gave no real emotion, but a solid look followed Shiro who was walking from the group and to the ashes he left "He is unbelievably powerful. Where are you headed?"

Young Conan came up with his own scrupulous stare, "We heard of a rescue team arriving at Tokyo tower. So we started our way there."

"Really? Can we tag along?"

"Of course," Mamimi moves over on the platform to give space, "you might wish to hurry Hades will be searching for us soon."

"Hades?"

Conan shook his head "Don't worry about her; the game she plays might be part of a delusional state. The man over there is Shiro, but she thinks he's Canti-sama from that game she has on her waist. Then you take her obsession with fire, and I guess she may be a pyromaniac only adding to her psychosis."

Kurama knelt down and pets Conan "You certainly are a smart boy, let alone brave not being scared with all that has happened."

Conan ignores him and returns to Rachael "You'll be okay Rach, trust me."

"Conan…" She has a tear falling from her cheeks "You think Jimmy is okay?"

Conan has a face of shame, he was Jimmy! Well, before the damn drug of those criminals he was Jimmy Kudo. "Of course Rach he's fine."

Getting on the platform they slowly flew off towards their destination.

* * *

Beast Boy didn't like the team he was in anymore. J'onn was too serious, Rouge too careful, Gambit too preoccupied, and Pyro was too… "Ah!" Beast Boy trips and finds the metal pipe melted into his way, "Oops my bad!" Pyro was laughing to himself while Beast Boy gave a low growl… Pyro was too much a jerk.

"Quit your foolin' around fellas I think we have something going on ahead." Rogue floats over a slight mountain of rubble; she finds a ninja with black gauze over his head looking down below her on some debris. He's stalking several people on the ground; one was a young man with a wooden sword handle "So this is the girl Ayeka, princess of Jurai? That fire monster works for Akaige, and he says she and the little sister are our targets. Remove them at all costs, and Akaige will give me special appreciation! It is Reptile's time, it is!"

Reptile began to create two large orbs of green energy in his hands, but the sound of Rogue made him turn and throw, Rogue is struck by two seismic orbs causing her to spiral off and to the ground towards Tenchi and his friends. She got up and found two log things closing in on her. "Uh-oh."

Reptile tries again, but this time he feels a strange heat on his back. Turning around a large dinosaur roars on him and Reptile screams "Stop, we're brothers!" The dinosaur snaps on Reptile making him tumble off the rubble mountain to the ground. Reptile slowly shifts his weight; he now found the two log beings at him, "Not good, this is."

The jolts of electricity begin but Reptile somersaults back on the mountain slightly higher, and then with his one hand he tosses an orb that booms the two logs away. "I am not so easily fooled!"

Behind Reptile J'onn phases through to the back, Reptile turns and J'onn punches the ninja to the ground "Indeed."

Slamming on the ground, Reptile flips up and finds everyone was now surrounding him. His eyes seem to shine before tossing his smoke bomb and disappearing. Rogue is suddenly pulled down by her ankle, next she's tossed at J'onn. Beast Boy jumps down and turns to a wolf sniffing the air, but his whelp and rising into the air seemed he had been head kicked from one side. Ryouko tossed her energy bolts, but the wolf is brought into them as a shield, making their force cause Beast Boy to return to his human self. A laugh of pleasure and Ryouko tossed her bolts there, almost hitting Washu before she ducked, "You're doing more damage than anything else you idiot!"

"Hey, at least I'm trying!" Ryouko stops tossing her bolts trying to see this invisible enemy. Reptile leaps into a dirt patch, which caused dirt to rustle; Ryouko does not see this but Gambit did. He turns to a large boulder, still on the top of the rubble he tosses the boulder down but Reptile merely laughs when it missed. Gambit smirks his way still while the boulder was glowing, folding two arms he knows his power energizes things with kinetic energy, causing the atomic structure to decay and explode. The larger the item… the larger the boom, and Reptile found that out on hand with the boulder blowing up. Reptile is flung into the rubble head first, his arms and legs flinging madly with the impact.

Gambit skids off the mountain laughing to the sight "Guess I won this deal partner."

Reptile pulls out of the rubble to have himself surrounded by everyone, "Uh…"

"Can it dino-boy." Washu moves the others out of the way "We're looking for someone named Sasami."

"The other princess? Then you are doomed to fail for our general has his mission to destroy her."

"What!" Ayeka knocks everyone out of her way "Who dares try to harm my sister? What did she do to you?"

"The girl did nothing to us, but Akaige warns if she and you live, than all is dangerous ahead. The empire of Jurai can not join the forces of the Earth." Reptile licks his lips, "If the princesses are killed in part to a war on earth, then Jurai will turn from this plight. We wish to destroy both princesses before they escape, meaning your sister and you Ayeka."

Ayeka was disgusted, but she was still wondering, "Who is in charge of our murder?"

"A mutant called, Holocaust."

The X-men were soon shocked to that name; the attacker of the mansion, and crazed lunatic who killed Scarlet Witch. "He's here?"

"Yes, and last I heard he was slowly tracking the girl Sasami! She will not last beyond the rescue team coming for you!" Reptile has slammed a smoke bomb and quickly ran for it. The others are left gagging on the smoke before Ayeka began breaking down. Her little sister is in danger, and she had no idea where to find her "Wait… the rescue point! She was headed there, I know it! She heard us talk about it, and then left, we have to hurry!"

Ayeka began running with the others following. Rogue floats slowly "Holocaust killed Scarlet Witch, and so many of my friends, how can I fight him now?"

Gambit was a little surprised; he offered a shoulder with the Cajun grin, "You know, not everything needs to be taken alone."

"I'm fine, really."

"Aw, being strong again? It isn't everything; sometimes weakness reminds us we're still human." Rouge flew into the air and ignored him, B.B. kind of chuckled and the Cajun gave the dirtiest look imaginable, "Ah, who asked you?"

* * *

Naota and Ninamori were ahead of the group showing that they held each other's hands. Haruko kind of snarled each time she looks at them, and Sasami kept showing her distaste of it with her sighs and moans. Canti stuck to the back, a question mark on his head each time he noticed their strange behaviors. With the little group forging over the destroyed scenery, it would seem no different than any other walk through Japan, even with the one lone figure skating behind them. Little Slugger, he's been watching several hours now; he has been waiting for a moment to get the girl. It was his mission, kill the girl, and kill princess Sasami. What was different is in this world, everyone was loosing themselves to their pain. Little Slugger was loosing himself in the pain and slowly morphed to a tall, giant beast having the tusked face of a monster. A moment Sasami trips, Slugger screams and rushes on the girl, hoping to kill her. When close to her the other weapon blocks him, a guitar. Haruko pushes off Slugger asking "What is with this damn kid?" she now noticed the creature like appearance, "Uh, I mean, monster kid… thingy?"

Naota saw Slugger which brought memories back to him. This was the same creature, even if larger than before; that hurt Ninamori. When Slugger made his charge again Naota pulled the bat from his brother off his back, and blocked the other swing. What gave Naota's bat the power to withstand the strike seemed impossible to fathom, but Haruko saw on Naota's brow the symbol of Atomsk. 'How in the…'

Slugger strained against the other bat, before finally loosing balance. Slugger fell onto his back and screamed; Naota quickly disarmed the creature from its weapon. Naota swung his bat on the monster, and it was wide eyed with its form shattering as if a bad dream. Naota took breath after breath, his mark invisible again. The two girls Sasami and Ninamori began screaming for his power, but Haruko lost herself, he's still filled by Atomsk. Canti saw Haruko and she looked at him "How about you? Can you still feel Atomsk?"

Canti looks at Naota then began walking on like before. Haruko rode over to the remains of Slugger, his bat. She kicked the bat and it shattered. This monster of a warped mind had no chance of surviving. Little Slugger was a mental distortion from a mind of pain. Now gone it should be easier, "Hey you guys!" Sasami screams pointing to Tokyo tower, "We're almost there!"

* * *

The Watchtower was where Robin decided to go so when the HIVE teens exited they expected to be thrown into stockades, instead Green Lantern and Wonder Woman greeted them. Wonder Woman asks "Billy Numerous?" He sighs letting out his arms "You can multiply, correct? We could use your help getting some things moved around, and if you fit in some space suits I'd like your help buffering the armor outside."

"Wee-doggy! This sounds like a kick-arse time!" he ran off with her leaving the others kind of surprised. Lantern finds Amazo now walking over "The one they call Gadget can come with me to begin some research on the recent events."

"Whoa! You're the hardware that took down the Justice League before! It'd be an honor!"

Lantern now asked "Seemore, you're supposed to be pretty eyeful with things. I have some need of a watchperson with the towers reactor, Mammoth I hear you're strong and the docks need all the muscle they can handle!"

The two give slight smiles but Mammoth asks the magic question, "Um, can we eat soon?"

"Sure we have pie to…" Mammoth and Seemore were cloud renditions of themselves with the words 'Pie' echoing the halls. "Um… Mammoth?" Lantern puts his hand through the cloud teens "Seemore?"

"Looks like their off on their way." Robin jumps back in the ship, "I have to try and find several others that were Teen Titans. You can stay here and offer your help."

Jinx snorts "Sorry, Robin, but I don't help. I'm the Jinx of a team; bad luck's my only luck."

Kid Flash kind of seemed offset by that, "You know you make your own luck. Maybe all you need is another chance."

Jinx gave him a slight stare but he kept this honest smirk, she gave up and turned to Robin "I'm more thinking around the line I'll help you for helping us." She jumped into one of the pods and Robin was confused "I know it's not normal, but I have to repay the debt."

"Um…"

"If she's going." Kid Flash speeds into another pod, "I'll come on along too."

"Er…"

A shadow appears in the other pod, Robin noticed Kid Wicked "You too?"

Wicked points down to the many Billy Numerous running along doing things while shaking his head no, Robin figures it was inevitable "Okay I guess I could use the help."

* * *

The Sha-lah bobbed their heads with Slade leaping and thrusting his fists and feet in attacks to the air. His staff weapon was laid on the wall, waiting if not pleading for him to use it, but he didn't have a reason yet. Raven just lay on the ground making Slade wait more and more. Slade does an aerial dual kick, landing in a spry kneel he rises into a heavy combo with his imaginary enemy. The Sha-lah 'oh' and 'ah' with his moves, but he was too busy from the fighting. With their words he merely heard his own blows rushing the air in the tomb. Finally, he did hear footsteps outside the temple. He stops striking and breathes to calm himself, as up the many steps someone will be coming. His mind asks who will come here, who will he have to fight? His answer came in violet skin and blue clothes with golden trimming. "Thanos, Sha-lah."

* * *

Fate and Arella sat looking with equal stares around the marble table. "Why did you call me here?"

"I fear for her Fate. She is my daughter, and now I fear for her. Even if her blood is mixed with that demon Trigon I have my concerns," Arella moves from the table to lean on a large window looking outside. "can I let her face that monster alone?"

"You know she will not be alone. If fate taught me anything, the prophecy will not allow her to be alone."

"When she is alone she will lose."

"Yes, I do believe this my lady." Fate now stood up and accompanied Arella "She is so serious and perhaps forcing her to rely on herself was wiser."

"She must not rely on herself, for there is her weakness. Only with the help of others she can go against the monster. When she realizes the power she holds with all life, she will reach a state none of us ever knew."

Fate looked at Arella slowly caressing a golden necklace, "Is that what I believe it is?"

"The item will be hers when you feel she must have it. Please, keep it for her Fate, because one day I know she will need it and also you will need her."

Fate looks out on the marble as it seems to grow darker in the dim room. "Trigon will give this realm to the heir of shadows. Inevitably," Arella places her hand on Fate's shoulder "Raven will have to face herself." Fate opens a portal "Today is the day she will awaken her inner power. This will be when it begins, but not end."

Raven awoke her eyes wide in horror. "No…" It was that day she lost her powers… her mother… all of Azar… her chest felt like it was splintering open from memories toying with her heart's emotion. The way it happened and pain she caused… her eyes watered with every sensation of pain.

* * *

Evils Angel slowly made his way to the other side of the room, a cupboard he opens it to start mixing things in a bowl "You're his daughter alright I mean the daughter of Trigon and Arella the high priestess now that is an interesting little… bastard child."

Raven was never used to that title so when hearing it she hissed "How dare you call me that?"

"Hm?" The man of armor shrugs "You mean bastard? It is what you are but nothing worse than a bastard born from forced consent. Just goes to show, poor things are often packaged in tempting wrap."

Those words struck a cord, so Raven flew on the armored man who dodged her and wrenches her one arm behind her back, showing his height and force over her own. "Come now my little bastard, you're never going to get anywhere fighting like that! Didn't Fate and Malchior teach you anything, useful?"

Raven began trying her magic enforced strikes, but these meant nothing to her opponent. After several of those moves he screams in rage and clasps his hand over her throat forcefully pulling her up in the air and holding her there. "You see, bastard, I'm the one in control!" Raven wraiths her fingers over his armored helmet, but he tightens the grip causing her to try and pry off his hands "You have the courage, the will, and the spirit to be a powerful warrior but you need something still. You need some skill to even yourself up with an opponent that has eons of battle experience, I'm a demon why the hell did they expect me to do miracles with you?" The man in armor drops her abruptly adding "Oh, and my name is Vastion, but you may call me Great Lord Vastion for short."

* * *

The people in Baxter building just waited for the news. The sewers had no real trouble as Quicksilver and Flash zoomed them and began using a device to call in the plan. In the tower, Seemore answers "Yo? What you want?" Lantern walks up and took the receiver "Never mind him what is it Flash? Did you find Husk?"

"Not yet, but we have a plan to have some ships land and take refugees." Flash sends his coordinates "This is outside the point the Kagejin are congregating. If you send some men and ships, we should be able to get people out safely."

Lantern was skeptical as is his nature… but he also wants to save lives. "I understand. We will send ships as soon as possible you have to get the refugees there as we land ships; we can't lull about letting our enemy drop their force on us suddenly."

"Sure thing, we'll run back and tell the others what is going to happen; okay?"

"Good, until then good luck." The two fast heroes run back to the Baxter building and deliver the news to a relieved group, but now they had a really tough job to take care of. They now had to arrange the escape before having nothing to look forward to but dying from the forces outside the fortress. Iron Man was the one asking "What's next? After we get them safe where do we go from there?"

Mr. Fantastic gave a slight sigh even he didn't know where this was going. "We wait and see."

* * *

Outside the little group of veteran heroes Cyborg did more damage control. A young girl scuffed her knee so he wraps her leg "There you go as good as new."

"Thank you Mr. Metal Man." She ran off and Cyborg sweats himself "Um… ah close enough." Cyborg didn't care really so moving on he found a beautiful young teen with blonde hair, blue eyes, even to some degree she looked like Terra but more formed, nicer nose, and some freckles along with the innocent smile that Terra never had. She was helping some young boy lay and rest before they made the transport. She read a bedtime story from the old Arabian Nights; it might have been Aladdin or something. Cyborg sat down listening to her speech, she had a red skirt and top which was bare over her navel, she sat on a tucked jacket which seemed red too and slightly like work boots were on her feet. She seemed a little garish, but if you looked in her glorious eyes the times she shared a look with Cyborg it was obvious she wasn't demanding of a male like role, she had a truly sweet inner self. Something Cyborg often looked for since for him the quality he hoped most saw was his true self and not the machine.

She finished and asked "What did you think?"

"It was a nice story, especially how you took the time during all of this to tell him. What's your name?"

"Paige Guthrie or you can call me Paige." Cyborg nods, "What's your name?"

"Cyborg I'm a teen titan if you ever heard of us." She shook her head no, "Oh, well, we're like super heroes."

"Really? I'm here trying to be a superhero of sorts, an X-man."

"Oh? You're a mutant?"

"Yes, my brother Cannonball has been one of the Generation X mutants I was hoping I could join too." She gives a little smirk shedding her hand of a layer of skin and showed a metallic underneath "I can mutate my skin while shedding the old, turning to stone and metal, or something like energy and faces. That's why I took the codename Husk."

Cyborg is wide eyed, "Husk?" She nods, and he smiles "Just wait five seconds!" he ran to Magneto screaming "I found her! I found her!" Paige had a confused look as he seemed sort of thrilled to learn her codename. When the news was spread to Magneto he nods in seeing her "That is the girl Husk, Paige is a very valuable mutant."

"She's valuable how? I mean she's just like Colossus with his skin altering power."

"Not so, her power is capable of altering to metal, stone, and so many other types of alterations from her own." Magneto noticed Cyborg was looking with slight concern "Do not worry; her power does not harm her in some ways it is a most impressive ability. She can shed her skin and cause that layer to turn, making items and even pools of crude liquids or acids."

"That's really amazing." Cyborg looks at his arm and gets a slight chill "To be able to shed one layer for another I mean that's…"

Magneto lays a hand on Cyborg "One should not pine over their frailty it is what makes us stronger." Magneto sighed in his sight of Charles Xavier "A good friend once told me this."

"Glad as I am you found what you wanted;" Mr. Fantastic points to the many people around them "Can we start moving people soon?"

* * *

The camp had demons rushing and moving along while Akaige sat in a bone chair. He clicks his claw on the rest, continuously murmuring to himself. His eyes scan over the building, and every window seeing shadows of people inside rustling on like them. They were not just getting ready for their attack there is more… much more. "_Gaikotsu,"_ the grand general bows to his lord's call "_Was there any other possible routes? Perhaps something we overlooked?"_

"Reports keep saying nothing suspicious appeared in any the other places. Everything seems to be sparse attempts to ready for their demise nothing more." Akaige is still skeptic but Gaikotsu bows before leaving. "_There's something bothering me they knew about our coming here… how? Who would warn them? Where did the mystic and mixed-demon male come from?"_ Akaige never became so worried over things that would be deemed trivial, but with war you can't overlook any possibilities.

* * *

When the doors open, to the sewer exits Invisible Woman, Susan Richards, whom hugs her boy Franklin once more before parting and leading the others through the tunnels with the help of Flash and Quicksilver. People held up the wounded and limply helped them along the path. When the group was out and into the halls the doors close and Mr. Fantastic has a chill up his back. 'She'll be fine… she will be…'

In the team, Dante and Rorek followed to the back of the huddled wounded. Dante asks "What are we going to do if this goes sour?"

"Fight." Rorek heard Dante kind of chuckle pleased "I mean fight and let the others escape."

"I know that's what I liked about it. It could be fun."

The two have a strange look at one another's attitudes. Though similar they certainly felt differently on this matter. As the group kept moving the upper world noticed nothing. It was working Susan thought, and if they kept going soon they would be far enough to have no worries. What they did not know was on the streets one large reptile monster with one wing broken and shattered sniffs the air; it turns down towards the sewers sniffing, and sniffing. Another demon walks over asking, "What is it Hojimko?"

The creature turns and growls, the other demon is startled before turning to the others "Hojimko smells blood! He smells blood!"

Hojimko slithers into the drainage spot sniffing on a puddle of blood, and as he did many turned watching it through the invisible barrier. Hojimko scoots up with his red scales clacking on the hard surface of these sewers even when several demons begin following into the sewers. Susan opens her communicator, "Reed, they might have spotted us…" Hojimko watches as a puddle of blood seemed to appear, a barrier slowly rolls off the blood as it moves past them. A scream and the other demons begin charging the invisible field, "Oh my god! Get ready, everyone!"

Screams and panicked hollers echo, with blood curdling roars. The communicator is silenced and Reed has become so pale a ghost was more fleshly colored "Susan…"

The demons rushed quickly on these weak and wounded morsels. They were not; however, ready to rush the more capable fighters like Dante who with his speed fiercely shattered his opponents, along with Rorek who made fierce spells that used the very elements to project death and destruction to these hellish monsters. Flash went back to give support ordering Quicksilver to help the wounded, though that didn't work I mean Quicksilver hated doing what he's told, so both plowed through the fronts of the demons holding off any advance. Susan knew her force field was not going to help the refugees, so she decided to go ahead and try making more shields for the ones fighting when she saw a demon getting close sort of slapping them in the face with an invisible hard-place. With the help it kept those nasty monsters really having a hard time trying to break through.

In his camp, Akaige ushers Gaikotsu, "_What's going on over there?"_

"Oh, seems the enemy snuck through with that invisible woman and her shields. Is there something you needed?"

"…_."_ Akaige grabs Gaikotsu by his horns and slams him through the ground. He pushes off his throne making his way towards the sewers, "_Want something done right, you have to do it your blasted self."_

When Dante was able to he calls his demonic self to the surface, seeming to spark lightning over his skin. His eyes glow brighter and red, as they strike more powerful with each delivered blow. Slicing the demons completely in two, he leaves nothing of his enemies except some dust, "You know Robes, I liked the idea of finding something more difficult to kill what is the point to all this?"

Rorek was not sure what Dante meant, but his heightened senses began to feel the change, "No…" Rorek ran next to Dante "He's coming! We have to fall back!"

"Who?" Dante gave a wide grin "Oh Mr. lord of shadows! I was wondering when I got to meet him!"

"Dante this is not a time to play around, Akaige is more dangerous than any normal demon. If we don't make a retreat it may…" Dante ran deeper into the demons screaming "It may turn to shit, or we may come smelling like roses! Come on, or when you died did they rip your balls off!"

Rorek has a flaring power in his eyes, "I know you're just trying to goad me into this but I'm not letting some savage like you get away with those words!"

Dante had a smile with the kind of reaction he got out of Rorek. His little smile however, had lost some nerve when the roof came crashing in and some cloaked, hooded entity was knelt on the crumbled ceiling. '_Who the hell is this guy?'_

The other demons made their moves back from the one figure. Dante has his sword ready, but Rorek snaps "That's Akaige, you idiot!"

"_So I am."_ Akaige pushed up from his kneel and lulled his eyes over the two, "_Not what I was hoping for with all the commotion you're making."_

"Oh yeah?" Dante rushed his sword like a javelin; Akaige barely passed the sword so he now could turn to the side, "Wh…" A boot to the face and Dante looses speed forcing his sword into the wall. Pulling the sword free, Dante blocks the large fanned sword in a slight deadlock with Akaige. The two push on one another, slight sparks form in the grinding metals. "_Hm, you could be entertaining after all. Who is your father boy?"_

"First, I'm no boy. Second, who cares?" Dante kicks off from the deadlock and struck across the ground sparking several electrical bolts over towards the shadow lord. Akaige is jolted, but these sparks did not harm nor changed his composition. Akaige stood with his sword still drawn, "_Very well I can always learn your blood through spilling it."_

When things started everyone made sure to give the two fighters room. They were glad when the swords of Dante and Akaige clashed, and from forces mixed the walls of the sewer tunnels began cracking. The impact had rippled the stagnant air across the walls making forces tempt a cave in. A moment the two tap blades so quick the two swords bounce straight off and back behind their heads, still in hand the two quickly recover to tap blades again. With the two bouting and sparking blades, soon they broke apart to look at one another. Dante was looking at his hands with several cuts, Akaige had the same injuries but where Dante bleeds Akaige vented his purple aura. The two now began healing, and Dante gave a slight sneer "Looks like we're going to be going a while if all we can do is cut our hands. Let's pick it up already!"

"_If you insist!" _Dante charges sword over his shoulder, up and ready to swing down. He's suddenly stopped, as Akaige took that moment to rush forward and slam the butt of his sword's hilt into the half-demon's formed abdominals. When Dante lost his composure; and his sword falters to his side; Akaige pulls his sword back and makes a forward lunge. Dante is able to tap the shadow lord's sword away; he then swung and slashed the back of Akaige. A smile now on Dante's face, he waits with Akaige's turning swing to duck under, and stab the belly of his enemy. Kicking off Dante screams with his next swing, it taps off the sword of Akaige to the ground. Dante is so high in his adrenaline he leaps into a roundhouse kick to put Akaige to the ground, he now lands and turns towards his opponent, sword at the ready but… Akaige was gone. Akaige soon appears to Dante's side with his sword in hand striking the sides of his sword with Dante's, now wedging the other sword into the ground with his forceful tap next an elbow to the face caused Dante to stumble from his sword letting it still in the ground slightly. "_How do you expect to defeat me without your sword?"_

Dante has a smile curling his lips with the trail of blood glistening from his one cheek. "Well, that's why I have these two babies." Dante pulls up his arms and props two guns towards the shadow lord. He raises a brow while slinging his large fanned sword to his shoulder by one arm, "_I'm surprised you even had an answer, a good one at that."_

Dante fired his guns bullet for bullet, causing ripples through Akaige's body, arms flailing and legs heaving from the cases of enhanced bullets mused from Dante's devil aura. When enough shots were fired Dante clicks his guns, letting their ammo cartridges pop out so he could click in some new ones. His smirking little grin was fairly cocky as Akaige seemed to be really torn up; from the amount of smoke in the air, and some mist swirling around too. Then Dante lost his nerve as Akaige cracks his neck to the left and soon his body began to heal rather quickly. The clawed arm seemed to bulge with veins and tendons tightening over the hilt. Rorek has recognized the slight change, and his mind recalls that sword's design, "God… not him. Don't tell me he's the one who stole their technique"

"_Game's over child."_ Akaige's eyes slender a bit with his emphasis; "_This was not even entertaining to me… not like it was with her."_ The swing of his sword was forcing a churning line of wind, horizontally swiping over Dante; the invisible force pushed the hunter with it and while Dante's eyes grow wide as saucers, his chest is tightening like a shriveled prune. The gale flings Dante into a wall where he falls down on his butt, his head bops forward than back, it hangs back showing his eyes had gone blank from pain, before sagging his head down in the crevice of his chest. Laying his long fan sword on his shoulder Akaige took several steps forward before Rorek runs over to Dante. Akaige narrows his eyes and grips his sword, and another of his swings creates the invisible strike. Rorek does what he must by forming a field of his magic through the long staff weapon, the shield forced Akaige to begin more random swings that waylay an array of winds on the shield. As Rorek held the field up, his staff began to crack, he's straining and sweat beads over his brow. '_It is the technique but how did he learn it? I thought this technique was lost.'_

Akaige has his arm back for another swing as lights shine on him, a large van like vehicle with armor padding and green with yellow color barrels the large tunnels of these sewers. Akaige was going to swing his sword on the van, but a gunshot and Akaige's left leg drops, on one knee the sword technique is interrupted and does not create a gale. Akaige glares the type of glare that would kill but Dante; weakly holding up his gun gave his cocky grin, moments before the van made contact. Opening up its side someone screams get in, Rorek pulls up Dante before running and kicking a sword and gun into the van. The invisible woman asks "Are you sure we should follow these people! We don't even know who they are!"

Dante, his voice shaky from the recent attack asks "Strangers with a van, tons of killer monsters… you really need a moment here?"

The heroes leap in and the van began to peel rubber as it took a path back to the Baxter building. Hojimko the red dragon demon screams but has no way of catching up. The other Kagejin were charging after the vehicle, but some did not even try knowing better. These ones look to the large crushed up wall where Akaige had been launched through. His foot came from the hole, and soon he stood out from the darkness of the next hall with his head down. It seemed like he was somehow ashamed, but when his head rose up slowly the way those eyes began to glow brighter and brighter it was obvious his rage has spiked, "_I see… none of them are worthy, none of them except for you…"

* * *

_

Upon a snowy bank overlooking the camp below, the team of heroes staking Russian lands now viewed a sight they did not expect. This makeshift camp was collecting people and putting them in large kennels, empting the kennels to a large transport ship in the far end of the camp, and housing the soldiers chosen as members to these horrid traders' shipments. Starfire is the one most affected; hiding her face from the sight Red Star holds his head down a moment before asking "Will you be able to help me save them?"

"Yes," Starfire has regained herself with a glow in her eyes, the glow of confidence "that I will most definitely be capable of doing."

"Alright, gather around." Sabretooth has the team assemble to him, "Starfire and Red Star, take and open those kennels;" They nod saying something to confirm the mission, "Batman and… hey, where the hell is spooky?"

Batman turns to see that Red X is gone, he frowns internally as he finds footprints, "Sneaky little…" he pulls off from the group, "I'll find him."

"No, we can't waste the time! This is something urgent, Ice you go with Batman."

"I can work alone."

"I work better alone, and I'm in charge remember?" Batman gave a death glare, but Sabretooth only ignored it, "You two take the right flank, can you see if you have the capability to distract those guys to that spot?" The two nod, "Good, I'm going to stride right in the middle, Colossus and Kitten have the ship." he looks to the large red pants wearing man with four small arms, "I have something to check out in the camp. You got your missions?" They all nod and he revs off "Then get to work you slackers!"

* * *

Waddling into the camp the four armed mutant, Sugar Man, points his one arm to three soldiers talking, "Get those prisoners to the ship!" He points another arm to four men carrying special crates, "Be careful with those canisters! You know how hard it is to find Chemical X?" the next thing he points to was the sound of revving engines, "Somebody tell me who said you can ride around like you…" Sugar Man leaps out of the way of the speeding bikes; standing from his knees Sugar Man now has a grin spread his cheeks. Sabretooth has stopped to step off from his cycle, a growl edges his lips and Sugar Man points his last arm to Sabretooth, "You, give me the eye you owe me."

"Come and get it… freak."

Batman turned his neck back seeing Sabretooth was going off the end, "Guess he has something to do." Batman was nudged by Ice and both are looking to a large bushel of soldiers, Batman pulls out the batarangs while Ice started to form her daggers of ice. The two leapt off the cycle and in mid-air Batman tossed three explosive weapons causing a large explosion. Landing back to back Ice and Batman stood in middle of several soldiers surrounding them. Batman looks at Ice, she's too young to fight with him… wait, Robin was a hell of a lot younger. The years are really getting along when you can't harp on the world around you.

Soldiers ran forward, they unsheathe rods of metal, some spark in energy as stun-batons. The two separate while attacking, Batman mixed his skill and experience along with brutal fists of fury. Ice was more delicate, she seemed to outmaneuver her enemies before countering with ice shards, ice blocks for shields, sometimes even a type of icy casing that captured enemy feet or arms together to their own or one another's. Batman, who once had a feeling she was inexperienced nodded to her work. Batman asks before grabbing one soldier by the shoulder for a judo throw, "Where did you learn to fight?"

"A royal princess of harsh lands must learn to protect herself. Not to mention," Ice ducks under one soldier freezing his ankles down to the ground, a soldier is too forced behind his punch and knocks his partner out straight. "My powers were always one to learn proper use." She kicked the one soldier who punched his friend, than smiled to Batman before returning quickly to the fight.

"Hm," A soldier is plucked off the ground and thrown into another. One soldier tried to strike Batman but he, without looking, flung his backhand/forearm over his shoulder knocking the soldier unconscious, "guess I need to remember you can't judge a book," Batman ducks under a soldier that leaped for his chest now taking out another one of his buddies, "by its cover."

Red Star puts the pedal to the metal when the fenced prisoners were in sight, he screams with the breaking of metal and Starfire flew off beginning a long barrage to soldiers near their hole in the fence, "Please, all who can run do so now! We shall hold your escape as a possibility!"

The captives were confused but when it clicks what is happening several began a break for it. Several soldiers scramble to the fence with their stun-rods, but Red Star turns his vehicle around and plow them down, opened back up the people scream in escape. Red Star is pleased, his people, family, so many he loved were thanking him. Then the sounds of screaming, Red Star turns to their voices of horror and found a large gray skinned man with blue hood and suit, "Who are you?"

The stone skinned man, his red eyes glow bright and Starfire lands to show hatred, "These slaves are mine, property of planet Apokalipse, and of the master Darkseid."

Darkseid has a faint smile when Starfire tossed a bolt he merely blasted away, a flick of his wrist and soldiers flow behind him, "Surrender, Troq, and I may keep you alive to see your friends die."

"This will not be allowed! I will stop your evil, Darkseid."

"Just try it you filthy," Darkseid flung his fists in the ground to up heave a large ice ball, "Troq!"

The ball begins rolling from his toss, Starfire shot her eyes and the ball halts slowly, it explodes but steam blinds her in the coinciding explosion. Her hands block the heat, but not the fist to her jaw, followed with another to the gut and than the face. Red Star wanted to help but quickly soldiers were rounding up prisoners, Starfire kicks off the larger attacker to give a smile. "Free your people," She launches a counter punch to Darkseid, "I am stronger than I seem!"

Weaving in the air she tossed her fists with heaving blows of her enemy. Red Star is now able to concentrate on his people again. Soldiers noticed his charge but with his speed they had no chance, their forms seem to flop in the air with powerful blows. Tossing them like dolls nothing could stop the super soldier, but a sudden surge of his body caused Red Star to fall in his place. Looking on the faces of his people, the cruel soldiers charging him, no… not now, this was not the time! Red Star screams and backhands several groups of men into each other, he could overload later. He can… die later.

With Colossus driving and Kitten in him, the two had rolled through the camp to the large ship in the back. A blackened metallic machine was landed in the center/back of this camp. Colossus kicks off the bike and several men begin attacking, he snorts, and with a simple backhand he sweeps them all to the side with his strides. Kitty has now asked "What is wrong with you?"

"My sister, Illyana, she is the only family I knew for so long. My brother is supposed to be dead; someone took my sister and impersonates my brother." Colossus plows a fist through the door of this ship, standing from the strike his metallic eyes have rage all within them, "I will not be so kind to the ones who dare threaten my families."

Colossus is halted with the appearance of a small army, Kitten phases from his head asking "Uh, how about the ones who threaten us?"

* * *

Deep inside the ship, a room of décor and fine linen rugs had two figures chatting. One of these figures sat with fingertips clicking together with a drum-roll, the other stood at a large window while viewing the many disturbances. The one sitting was Madame Rouge, "The intruders are of course the ones I mentioned, as also the target."

"I know this…" The large frame is sighing with his red eyes glaring to the outside camp. "What a waste, my dear brother." He turns his frame, still hidden in shadow he nods to Madame, "Go on and finish loading the slaves. I'll interfere if I must."

"I'd say," She stood up with a turn "that's a must."

Madame was gone, another figure appears in the corner his arms crossed, "Shall I interfere?" his Russian voice is deep, mechanical like, and somehow it has no attachment to this world of the living. The man at the window nods in acknowledgement so he points to two soldiers entering. The man who sees them releases his arms, and some sound of machinery echoed with two long protruding metal tentacles. The men would have fought, but their speed struck hard and fast, the two men fell dead and their owner nods asking "Anyone else?"

"I was going to have them escort you to the area…"

"Oh," The man with tentacles had a smirk, letting the weapons enter his palms he sarcastically said "my mistake."

The man at the window, less enthusiastic of his decision to awaken this maniac, points to the kennels to the distance "Just go there and remove my problems."

"Sure thing," he steps over the dead bodies but turns swiftly, "if I see your brother, the one they call Colossus?"

"Kill him." It was so swift and uncaring; Mikhail only looked out the window as the other left. "I have no reason to keep blood ties anymore. That is more for the living, not the dead."

* * *

Tokyo Tower, our little teams all were trying as badly as possible to get to this one spot, but only one team could claim the victory of being first. That team was none other than team Sasami; she was not too thrilled when they entered the area. None of the ships have landed, and it seemed as torn and devastated as other areas. Naota was often holding hands with his girlfriend Ninamori, though Haruko who pushed on her Vespa had not the faintest pleasure with their closeness. Canti, the mechanized creature who did housework for Naota stuck near Haruko, no real reason to his action except he had no where else to go. His face turns to Haruko, a beep and she noticed his screen had written in Japanese, '_Don't they look cute together?'_

Haruko gave a snarl to which a sweat drop symbol appeared on the robot's upper right temple, he turns away while twiddling his thumbs. Haruko was not really upset with them or what is happening… but she has so many problems with herself. Never was she so willing to help mortals. Especially not like this, it's not like her. Haruko was finally getting so irritated she lashes out on the others, or rather, Sasami who didn't produce their escape. "Where's the damn ships?"

"Huh?" Sasami lowers her eyes, "I'm not sure they should be coming soon." Sasami felt herself getting depressed, but Naota grabbed her shoulder causing a slight blush. "It's okay Sasami; we'll all be here when they come. Let's try and relax the hardest part is over."

Yeah, of course it is… Then again we're talking about the end of the world, a major monster dominated scenery, and even with all these things we still seem to have many more things of terror and horror roaming about tearing some serious damage on the scene… yes, this _was_ the hardest part. Surviving till you have some glimpse of hope. Before, nothing was really apparent to live for, aside from each other; but now they have their chance and hope was strong.

While they had their hope, another group had their appearance. From the sky slowly floated down a large slab of stone, with a flaming herald under it and many slowly getting off. The group of Spirit detectives, along with Sunfire and his new friends were surprised to see others. Yusuke walks over nonchalantly, asking "You here for the rescue teams?"

"Yeah, so are you having fun," Haruko plucked her guitar, "detective?"

"Sure, lots of fun! Look at all the fun I'm having here."

Haruko, even if this sarcasm was the worst, she laughed from him which only got her looks what with the scenery they were sharing. Conan helped Rachael towards the group she was still very frazzled, she motions to somewhere near the tower and he nods. Mimi, the girl that has been fascinated with her game-hero, Shiro-sama, noticed Naota she screamed before lunging on him on to the ground, and next she was sensually kissing him. Naota is frozen, not by the kiss, but three other girls glaring at him to see what a response he gave that kiss. Pushing off Mimi he soon was bombarded by the girls, in a tugging contest each grabbed a limb and tugged on him, except Mimi who only realizing that it may be a game she also joined in. There is slight laughter from everyone else, except Sunfire who has walked off to the distance of the group. After the little bouts of tug and war, people get their little clicks or congregations going, Mimi was off looking for her great savior who she found off near some broken water pipe spraying into a dirt-hole. "There you are; I found you!"

Sunfire gave no response. He was sitting with his one arm hanging off his raised knee, looking at the water play onto the surface and ripple over the collected pond. He didn't like water, but he was willing to watch it. He was captivated in the distortion of his reflection making the dancing flames dance more with the gyrating ripples. Even Mimi, who has always been obsessed with flame, took time to watch his flames dance on the water's surface.

Mimi did not know what to say; to her this was an angel from the heavens. Her mind has seen the great fire-angel over and over, not that she saw this, but he certainly looks like what she could expect. "So," Mimi gave a slight smile "have you any ideas on what's next?"

"No." Shiro did not look at the girl but he did go on answering "I believe you will escape, I will stay to fight. I deserve to fight here, and die here."

"Why?"

Shiro, his eyes gave no show to her but in the way they glisten, the way they also dulled, he shows sadness to the world. "I failed my friends, my family, and so many people who believed in me. They died and I did nothing to help them."

"You helped me, the others too. If you didn't we would have died."

"I have committed the sin of failing my honor. To that, I can not ignore this falsehood. I will die here and repent for my sin."

"How does dying repent for sin?" Shiro looked over to the girl; she had struck her palms to the ground and started crying, loudly even. "I can't see how you think that! If you're so full of pain for what you did, do something to help those who you wronged! Death solves nothing; it only eases the pain of living! You want to quit, go ahead! I know Takun would never have quit…" She lowered her head and tears now streak onto the ground, "I know… I know that he still loves me."

Shiro was not really caught in her speech, but her pain did make him worse. "I am sorry if I disappoint you. I… I merely can not condone what I did. Earlier..."

* * *

"No, let them go!" Sunfire, the man in red flamed clothing spandex ran forward sparking flames on the monsters. They scramble about and people run behind Sunfire, he grows the flames willing the people protection. Several were his friends, others his family, all were his people and he vowed the day he was born with these powers to fight for them all.

Sunfire could easily beat these creatures. They have no defense for his fire powers, but soon a flame did counter his and scorched the land around him. Sunfire, able to endure flames of any heat, was unaffected from this flame even when it passed his defense. However, the ones he was protecting… they were burned alive. Sunfire heard them scream, turned to watch them run on flame, and roll in desperate attempts to save themselves. His eyes seemed full of pain, and the only thing changing those eyes to hate was laughter, his laughter… the man with the club arm.

The two fought, Sunfire used his powers and the club armed man used his own. In the desperate attempt, Sunfire releases all his power to create a huge inferno. His powers engulf him, his flesh began to cinder and scorch, eventually the area melts and flames appear through thin air. He would have thought it over, the fires rose to the clouds above, but the monster did not appear afterwards… surely it was dead. Sunfire also realized others were dead too. The flames spread too quickly and more of his people die from his power… he failed them, he failed those he loved.

His mission after that was to die. He wanted to die because he killed them, he deserved it. Yet, his flying about searching for death crossed paths with a girl praying for some angel of fire, the rest is what it is.

* * *

Mimi kind of had this wide eyed look on her face, "Wow, you really are my angel."

"What?" She gave him a great smile, which was not something he expected, "If you didn't come we would have died! Then, you also lived because of us! See, you're meant for something greater! Not just dying you'll find your worth in life, sooner or later!"

"Is that so?" Sunfire kind of was confused but he was alive still, may as well go with it.

The two would have sat there longer, but a scream and they run off seeing what has happened. Yusuke was trying to break free, Kurama and Kuwabara held him back while his arms flailed. Hiei, the short warrior with spiky hair had the coldest look possible with the circumstances. He was standing arms crossed on one foot, Sunfire and Mimi came next to him "What happened?"

"Yusuke found his girlfriend." Hiei turned to a large hill. The hill was actually bodies stacked onto one another, their situated so their blood seeped into a hole like a kind of pool. Hiei finally looks on Yusuke who was now dropping to his knees, tears flowing wildly he lost composure. "Poor kid, he never saw this coming."

"We should help him."

"Just what do you expect us to do?"

Everyone has now got interested; Conan the detective took more interest than he probably should have. Getting closer he noticed the bodies didn't just get tossed here, they were arranged. The blood was being drained to the pool. Next he found the footsteps leading from the pile to the pool, '_Someone was actually bathing in this it seems. So now, who was it that did this?'_ Conan looked over the blood, some of it outside the pool had coagulated and such, but when he touched the surface of the pool he pulls his hand back, "Wow, this is really hot. It is even hotter than normal blood!"

Rachael didn't know what he was talking about, limping over she put her hand in the blood too "You're right Conan. Why is this blood so warm?" She then pulled her hand back, holding it she whispered "Something touched my hand."

The two backed away as the blood now boiled, soon a large bubble formed in the center. The bubble stood tall, it was a form with blood covering its broad shoulders and two arms. The blood was now beginning to dry over the form, and as the heat rose so did chips of blood now solidified. The chips broke into he air dissipating, allowing bits and pieces of the fiend to shine through with his golden plasma within an armored crystal body. The red skull glared with sick pleasure, and raising his large club arm, Holocaust fired a blast aimed on Sasami.

Sasami was not expecting it, so if not for someone pushing her out of the way she most likely would have died. Mimi pushed off of Sasami, her eyes shook as her back had been burnt badly. Holocaust, now angry with the intervention stomped out from the pool to the dirt. "Little bitch got in my way."

Sunfire knelt next to Mimi, she had not only been burned but the fire was radioactive and now it began quickly to affect her system. When she saw Sunfire, she smiled at him saying "It's time you beat Lord Hades, Shiro-sama. I know you can. That's why you're here."

"You're here too. Don't give up."

"I did my part, I brought you here…" She closed her eyes "Didn't I?" and a moment her body went limp. It was peaceful, she didn't have to scavenge anymore, depend on others, or fight to survive anymore. Sunfire was not able to hold her, but when he closed his eyes the flames ceased and he pet the girl's hair. She was gone, but now his charred body was not flaming like before. As he stopped petting her, he turned to Holocaust who only looked on confused. "She was a good person. I can't understand how you could kill her."

"I was aiming for the princess." A fireball struck Holocaust, toppling him over. Sunfire stood with his arm on fire, the flames quickly spread over his body. "I'll make you pay monster! Do you hear me?" Sunfire jetted off and as Holocaust rolled to his feet, a fist flung the behemoth into hill of bodies causing it to topple over, "I'll make you suffer!"

Holocaust was partially stuck in the bodies, he pushed them away to stand, gloating "Little one, you have no idea just what you've gotten yourself into!"

* * *

Slade was flung into the wall, but he rolled in the air to spryly somersault off the stone and to the ground. Looking up, he panics before leaping to the side; a large golden fist slams through the wall he previously kicked off from. Thanos swung his other arm with a turn, the backhand smash missed Slade but caused more of the stone walls to break. Slade easily sees a chance, taking it he swings his staff to the knee of his enemy, they falter on the foot and Slade swings the staff overhead and cracks it over the exposed back of his enemy's head. Thanos was not dazed; he screams latching onto the mercenary's leg and tossing him on the ground. Shoulders and back on the ground, Thanos kicks off his knees and elbow-drops into Slade's chest, still atop of Slade he grasps his free hand over Slade's face and begins squeezing with his might.

Slade couldn't counter the strength of his enemy, but luck plays his side when Thanos stands up and lifts him up into the air. Out in arms reach, Slade was suspended in the air. He had to smile, the oaf gave him a perfect shot, and so Slade took it and kicks his leg to the throat of the large man. Thanos is stung, his grip loosens and Slade plows his upper body into the humbled might of his enemy. The two now roll on the ground, Slade spans his eye over to the sleeping Raven and he is struck off the man and to the ground. '_Damn, not the best time to worry about her. I have to keep him over here at the wall, farthest from the altar and her.'_ It was his plan to try and pull Thanos away from the girl, the farther away the better his chances.

A sudden strike to the ribs, Slade is vaulted to another part of the room. He fell on his same side, and recoils from pain as the strikes were each crippling. The sound of thumping, Slade looks up and the same large foot nearly hits his head. A lucky guard and grab, Slade holds the foot to his chest and pushes back off making his enemy wobble, but not fall. Thanos, not pleased at his failure, charges his hands and fires a beam that plowed Slade through the stone floor and across the room to an opposite wall. His body had been broken, luckily he heals quickly. When he opened his eyes Thanos was making a march towards Raven, however quick Slade is it was not quick enough.

Thanos stops before Raven, his eyes if he had them looked sadly "I apologize, but my mistress wishes me to destroy you. As well my brother Darkseid demands I amend for my previously failure to stop you." Thanos raises a fist, his mind gains the image of Raven thanking him for help, and he paused as it seemed he lowered his hand. "I… I must…" his hand glows bright and he prepares to fire.

Slade is starting to try and heal his wounds, he heals enough to pull out a disk that he tossed and it explodes. Thanos is struck in the explosion, but he fires. Slade grimaces and when he looks back the smoke next to Raven's head made him both relax, and worry. Next time won't be so lucky. Thanos was already preparing to fire but Slade kicks off his feet, shakily he ran at Thanos with fist drawn back. The moment he was close, Thanos noticed and kicked off the attack straight to the gut. Thanos watches as Slade bounces off his back and then in the air to his front. Still on the ground, Thanos fires his beams and this time Slade not only rolls but lies still afterwards. His smile was wide in victory, but suddenly the floor up heaved and tossed him back through the ceiling. Slade is unconscious, but if he had not been the young girl in bandages, with blonde hair long and covering her one blue eye, he may have been afraid. The young girl looked at the man, to Raven, and again to the man. Her eye has hate, rage, but for now she had to call him… master, again while they were allies. Terra had no choice, but she gave her distaste in growling the name of her former master "Slade…"

* * *

Vastion didn't give her any breaks, or did he teach her anything she didn't already know, but more important… he kept angering her. Raven was at every point failing, he'd tell her how she failed his test and mention what he felt she was. The name he used fueled her anger and soon she struck at him, but he's beyond her, and each time she was slapped or kicked away. While on her back from the last attempt she screams "Why did they send me to you? I'm learning nothing they didn't teach me!"

"Oh really?" Vastion walked to the still crippled girl, when her eyes looked at him in hate he flung his heel to her neck pinning her down, "You know what, this is getting to really piss me off! You were supposed to already know how to fight! But, you're too stupid to figure it out!"

When he seemed to be getting more enraged, the voice from Raven's chest caused him to stop, the necklace whispers so only he may hear. "What… you want me to give you her?" Vastion looked on Raven who gave him just as much hate even with his heel in her neck, "Okay, fine. Save me the hassle of training her." A portal opened in the ceiling and Vastion tossed Raven into the spiraling vortex, after that he chuckled "She's really going to be something if she gets it through her head."

Vastion opened a door in his home it leads to the fiery pits and mountainous peaks of hell outside. He gave some looks around the area, a flattened platform of stone and he ran to jump over a large chasm to that very platform. It had several other formations of rising slated pillars so he began training some himself. "Kid didn't know," he kicks one of the large formations to make it crumble; "I can leave into the hell springs here."

While Vastion trained, on a large formation one figure sat in wait. He held a long sword, and his right shoulder has a blackened wing that folded around him than behind him. The figure, a smile of superior cruelty played his lips as his eyes kept watching Vastion. In time, Vastion got the feeling he was being watched so he turns to find on the mountain a blackened feather slowly fell, "…So, rumors are true. He even found me here."

The mountain behind Evil's Angel was now breaking down the center straight from the top. Vastion leapt away as the dividing force plows on him, showing a large sword had cut through the mountain. As the mountain fell to two sides, a figure walked through the dust and divide. Vastion stood up, forming a sword of fire which symbolizes a five headed dragon, he gave the most hate filled snarl imaginable "Rumor or not, you have to prove you deserve to be the new _Evil's Angel_! That you deserve my title!"

The figure smiled on, his hands raised as he shifted his long katana sword to the side of his head in a stance, blade pointed out to the opponent. Vastion got a chill, but countering with his own stance he thought to himself, '_Of all the times to be challenged, why now?'_ The two tag weapons, forces seemed to call to the challenger from a power even the ageless mind of Vastion could not fathom, '_And, why the hell is this freak here now all of a sudden?'

* * *

_

Raven plopped out of the floor and into a place of light; she soon realized it was not somewhere new but somewhere very old… "Azar?"

The great spires were erect again, the city full of sound and light. When Raven turned, a white form is there with arms at their sides and eyes full of happiness, "Mother…" Soon, Arella raised her arms and Raven clenched into the embrace of her mother, "How? How can this be possible? Is this really, home?"

"No, it is a projection of my own mind. I was getting worried Vastion's teachings were not getting through to you."

"Teachings? What was he actually trying to teach me?" Raven pulled away, Arella lowered her head as her daughter began to fume "He was only beating me, slapping me around. That didn't teach me anything but how much the tool I've become! As I'm here, learning, my friends are in danger! They could be dead, or dying! I'm not supposed to be here, I'm supposed to be there with them!"

"How do you expect to save your friends if you can't even save yourself?" Arella's words cut Raven's heart, the tone drops as she realized that "My daughter, I love you so much. I wish I could take away all the pain, the burden, but it is in fact the one thing I can never do. That pain is the last lesson, pain, is the path of all warriors."

"What?" Raven was confused, than a large forum of faces appeared, Sunfire, as he fought Holocaust blow for blow as his flesh burns with his powers. The pain made him powerful, for he endeared the pain to use all his fire form. Red Star, battling his foes as he also suppressed his explosive power inside, releasing it as his punches connect and suppressing the overload. Dante, his body was torn and shattered yet he stood up in the Baxter Building, bandaged ribs he ordered people to work hard to defend their last stand's perimeters with devices and traps. Slade, his body mends the broken bones and organs, his sight of Terra would normally bring him to questions, but as Raven lay on the ground and Thanos charged his palms he struck with his wounded body with blows that caused his injuries to increase.

"What are you trying to teach me?"

The last thing you must learn. Raven, there is much in life to understand. One thing is that pain is a part of living. You have hidden your friends from the pain of your father, they instead fought and endured. You hid them from the coming of this other demon, now they fight like before. You hide yourself in the need to know how to fight, but, you know how to fight it has been with you forever and beyond that.

"Mother… how can I win?"

That is not something I can tell you, all you need to know is… you will never be alone.

The necklace glows, Arella is soon with Fate, and Malchior. Raven began to drop to her knees; they grabbed her and held her up. She looks at them, they look at her, "All life, before and after, is with you Raven. You are now connected to the worlds of our worlds, through our hopes passed to your shoulders. Fight with us, with your friends, but most importantly… fight, alongside yourself, not against yourself."

Raven returned to Vastion's home, her eyes were full of tears. She stood up, a scream from outside made her stop crying and wipe the tears away. She ran outside, there was Vastion with his armor broken or shattered, his helmet gone now exposed his frail long white hairs and scarred face. Possibly, the man fought eons of battles and now this was what he had left to show for it. Raven was going to help, but he stood up and pointed his blade towards her, "You stay the hell out of this! I'm not going to let some little bastard take my pride from me!"

She stopped; Vastion fell to his side too tired to fight. Raven gave a glare, soon the figure that attacked him floated down with their feet calmly touching the dirt. She knew it was impossible; he had to be helped, so when the figure raised their large sword she flew at him. The figure, he disappeared in a flash of blackness and so she stopped short, turning back around the figure's sword was at her neck, she cringed as their long silver hair flapped in the wind, and two bangs fell to the front brows of his face. His eyes, and smile, so cruel and dominant kept on her the whole time. Those eyes, chillingly, they glow with human quality but godly power, green eyes, which only shine more in their powers. "Who dares to strike me from behind?"

Raven looked at this opponent and her mind seeks one answer, well, she found one. "All of us do."

"Us, what do you mean us?" He is confused, but an aura began to emanate from Raven so he kicked off his toes to back away. Raven's feet had encircled her with energy, her outfit turned white again, but this time her eyes disappeared in color to reveal white nothingness, as if possessed. She moved her hands in a stance, the two hands at her hips began to glow, and they create dual swords. One sword, it was an ebony hilted blade with a four eyed mask chained to the end, the theatrical mask of drama's pain, the other sword is ivory hilted with a four eyed mask of drama's joy chained to the end. He raised a brow to the unusual power, but it didn't end there. After those swords appeared, he is soon confronted in a vision of two wings curving from her back through the hooded cape, black wings like his own. It was not something he expected, "What are you?"

"I could ask the same thing of you. However, I'm going to destroy you so what does it matter what we are!"

"Is that so?" The man floated into the sky, his wing spreads open and soon his body allows darkness to roll off him like a mist, "I am the one they call The One Winged Angel, who may I ask is honoring me with my demise?"

"My name is Raven." She floats into the air; both evenly levitate in place, brandishing swords of their own design, "I have to defeat you so I can know I'm finally able to do what I must. This battle, it will prove I'm ready."

"What if you should fail?"

"I won't fail, not while my friends are with me."

He scoffs, "Just like that puppet of mine, you truly think your friends will give you strength?"

"They already have…" The two connect onto each other, bolts spark ferociously across the ground as black and white, his and hers, then the one winged angel has one more smirk, asking "Have they given you enough to defeat, the great Sephiroth?"

Note: Happy Mothers Day, and everyone out there, I hope you liked todays chapter. I have to go and celebrate Mother's day with my mom, but hope you all do the same. Thank you to Doza, I'm now interested in being a little bit more direct to details like punctuation. Hope that I'm doing better and next time you won't mind giving a review? I'm picking… but to everyone I hope this chapter was worth the wait and maybe next time I won't take so long to get the work done.


	10. Wings Will Glide you in Hell

The Age of Akaige

By Pakkrat

Chapter 10: Wings Will Glide You in Hell

Note: I really meant to update sooner but really I'm taxing this whole thing. Still, I try to make up the best I can with great action scenes! WARNING: Chapter has some violence and death, also mention of sexual acts but also not covered in detail. What I mean is it is mentioned but the acts are not described. Reader's discretion is advised.

When you're in hell, you expect a certain amount of torture or whatever. The fight now breaking out between the two winged combatants was torture to even look at let alone be a part of. Raven was clashing the two swords she held along strokes with her attacker, the one winged angel, Sephiroth. As she stayed his blade, he bared onto the opposite force with a smile. They seemed to levitate in the air with their wings slowly flapping. He looked into her eyes, as she strained he seemed only to merely press a slight force of his arms. "Oh my, you're sweating." Raven took a moment to see sweat fall off her brow, the force he had was so… "You were not prepared for this fight. Have you ever even used a sword, let alone two?"

Raven screamed before flailing her arms with the dual swords. Sephiroth floated through every strike in the grace of the devil himself, a smile grew and he flapped his wing to pass her. She stopped cold, as his breath whispered into her neck, "I see you never used a sword after all."

Raven turned but his strikes were precise, both blades have been struck and fell to the ground imbedding the dirt. She flew a distance between them, but he raised his sword so the tip niches her chin, she is at the very end while he looked on her smiling and leering in the manner a cat would with a mouse. "You're pathetically trying to think of a way to defeat me. You don't understand, I will not allow you, nor any other to make me into a mere memory."

Raven was somehow found in a situation. Her body tensed as the sword pushed her chin up, her neck dribbles a line of blood from the pressure of the blade down the center of her neck. Her eyes seemed to now look to the cavernous ceiling and glow brightly. As Sephiroth was reveling, he did not notice the large cave hanging stones to break and come towards him. His body is almost struck, when the sword moves to collapse all the stones with one movement, or maybe several that were in the flash of once. Raven now pulled her arms under her cloak, and this time her weapon was a strange type of spear with the long shaft of black, and the blade to the end is a Raven with the beak as the tip, the two blades fanning from its sides made fake wings. She flew full force, and Sephiroth looked on her to have the spear strike his side, "I have to win! This match, I must win this match!"

Sephiroth grabbed his side and pulled out the spear, pain only barely shown in his face. The pain changes to hate and he struck the butt of his sword over Raven's face. "You don't understand. You lost the moment you dared challenge me."

While Raven was rolling over herself along the ground, she seemed to allow her eyes and hands to glow. Sephiroth did not notice it, and he especially missed the fact a large sized mass of some mountainous pillar was up heaved and quickly speeding on him. He soon realized, and struck his sword to make the large mass split in two. He smirked with delight, but soon he frowned as the two halves now stopped with him in their center. Like a sandwich waiting to be made, the two large halves crush in on him with dust swooshing off the impact. The two halves began to grind, Raven lay on her stomach and concentrated with her hands rubbing roughly like the stones. While it seemed impossible, the two halves were slowly parting, and Raven's hands did the same. Pushing off the two halves was Sephiroth still wedged between the two large stone blocks? He turned his head back with a smile, and now his cheek is bleeding among other marks over his form. "Impressive as this is you know I will kill you." He pushed off with all his force, the two halves began to push away but they quickly tried to crush him again, but he plowed both fists through the stones and they began to crackle and explode in dirt or dust. Raven was using the spear to stand up and watch as the dust clears with Sephiroth turned only to her now. He lands slowly, one foot, than the next, and raising the long sword he signals them to continue. "I will kill you and all the things you love."

Raven had to admit he was intimidating but still she had to win. This was important to her, to the ones she loved. Raven gave a little shift off her one leg to extend out this large spear straight from her hold, "Come over here and just try it."

* * *

"The City of Townsville…" Spoke a mechanized voice hidden in brown ragged cloths. The figure had broad shoulders, and when they turned around from the ruined city and destroyed homes he made a loud stomping sound. "This miserable collective of flesh-sacks has finally been dealt with. Well, all except the three little champions you made. Where are they hiding Professor Utonium?" 

A man knocked to his knees and held by strange blue robots with no lower halves, only strange boosters kept him there. Utonium gave a hate filled look to the being in brown rags, "What do you want with my girls?"

The cloaked man shook his head, the rags shuffle with mechanical gears moving and churning, "Professor, I want you not the girls. They are merely a loose end I plan to tie. In the world now coming we can not allow rogue agents to flutter about, aimlessly."

"No! They're my girls! Leave them be, please!"

The figure did not heed these words he merely turned around and waved with a metallic silvery hand, with spiked knuckles, "Take the professor. Akaige was in search of this one and his knowledge of the X Compound. I have more important matters to attain to since the Professor told his precious freaks to run away."

Utonium lowered his head, "Please, if you have any decency."

"I do not have the programming of such." The figure now let a metallic tail slam to the ground with several explosions in the city, "Blast, the girls were spotted but those drones can't handle them. I'll have to go myself. Take the professor and cloak yourselves!" The figure leapt off their spot away from the city and began to make his way towards the last sighting. While he did that Utonium begged him to stop, but the drones took him on a ship and blasted off.

A transmission came from the ship from a drone, referring to a picture it found in the Professor's wallet. "This image was found, it files under the descriptive similarities of the three female youths."

The figure stopped and inspected his visual sensors, "No… these specimens are of a younger age and period. The specimens I seek," The figure began to hop off buildings like it was a skip through the park, "are teenage specimens. I will know their beings when I see them."

Inside the city is another explosion, it was a pink like explosion. Three shadows hide behind some toppled building where only two walls stand. As they were huddled behind the wall, with collapsed rubble in front of it, one spoke in the leader tone expected, "Bubbles, Buttercup, this is not your average every-day Mojo Mischief plan. Those things burned our city down and killed innocent civilians. The professor said we have to get out of the city."

"Get out of _our_ city? Are you stupid or something sis?" The green eyed teenager had to show the hate of any, but her other sister with strong defiant pink eyes snapped, "Don't start with me Buttercup! I'm the leader!"

"Look, Blossom! This isn't some damn villain mishap, we're in the real shit! You let me handle this like I want!"

Blossom gave a glare more agitated than leading, but when a pair of soft blue eyes looked on the leader pleading, "Blossom, we can't just leave the city. It's our home, our lives. We knew and loved people here for all our lives. You want us to just ignore that?"

"We-well…" Blossom let her eyes lower and a sigh exits her lips, "Fine, we have to leave but let's give them exactly what they deserve!"

"Yeah, now you're talking boss lady!"

Several groups of robots were closing in on the area an explosion occurred. From above them green beams shattered several drones causing the others to look up. They saw the teenager in a green sleeveless shirt with the words 'Fight' over the front. She screamed in her plummeting fist through a droid and as they back away she swung up her face making black hair flip back behind her ears and angled downward, two green bangs were dyed and angled down slightly over her glowing green eyes. When she put her hands on her hips she showed the black fingerless gloves, with knuckles bare in biker style. Her jeans were long and baggy, the edges of the sleeves are torn and her legs both have oversized pockets. The right hip allows one long chain to hang connected to her front and back part of that right hip. While she took a step onto the ground her green and black sneakers light up with red lights, stylish and attitude was her desire. As she gave a confident little smirk the drones surround her and she only points up.

The drones look up as a second form tore through them with kicks and punches, soon followed by the next. The second was with long red/orange hair flapping in her strikes. The hair is free and loose, a set of pink shades are over her head while her pink eyes glow in strikes of ferocity. Her upper body is in a shirt with pink sleeves, but white in the torso's center the picture of a purple heart is in the center and back. With a strong kick of her right leg to one robot's head her gray bell-bottom jeans with a black belt flapped in the wind. Her executive type brown shoes crack open the drone's head and she quickly pulls back to begin firing beams out of her eyes and through several machines.

The final of these three was a blonde haired girl with her hair in two small ponytails. She stomped her fine shoes into the ground and looked up to the robot about to grab her. Kicking up over his arms she giggled, the droid looked to find her smiling at him and simply blasting his head off like a game. Landing, she turned her head around showing her gleeful blue eyes glowing, and waving to two more drones. Her shirt was a sleeveless and shoulder less shirt, tucked into her pants. Her jeans were blue ones with little butterfly designs on the outer thigh and little slits at the ankle. Around her neck was a golden band that read 'Angel' and she now twirled with her necklace like a ballerina tossing droids and machines into the air where they exploded. When she stopped her delicate mind seemed to turn saying "That was so much fun! I hope they send some more!"

The girl of green looked over, "Bubbles, this time is one of the few," She swung her fist over her shoulder and smashed a droid to pieces, "I totally agree with you."

Bubbles, the girl in the blue smiled widely "I'm glad to hear that Buttercup." She turned to the girl in pink, "Blossom? Is there something wrong?"

Blossom, the girl in pink, had to nod her head "I hear something coming."

The three girls were silent, listening… (Ca-thunk) "Wait! I heard it too!" … (Ca-thunk) "What the hell is that?"

The loud noise is soon stopped with the appearance of a cloaked figure. Looking on the girls stood the metal man with his long tail, "Ah, the three specimens. I'm here to take… one of you alive."

The girls give blank looks to one another, and next they fire off their eyes on the machine. Their beams catch the robot's cloaks on flame and they burn away. Showing now was a shinning metallic body man like in shape and form, but it had irregular aerodynamic additions. The robot walked on two legs but those legs were arced like some animals, and had three toes that pulled up and clacked the ground cracking a stone each. The body is covered in sheets of metal that shines in the light. His upper body was immensely formed and housed most the workings of the creature. His arms were rising to brush away several ashes from its broad shoulders, and allowed the sharp fingers to scratch over the armored body with spiked knuckles glistening on flames. Their head was rounded and long faced, with a mouth that was glowing red from an open jaw. The jaw is always open and always had the same empty smile; it only serves as a spot for its oral orders to be given. Along with his eyes that also glow red they too never open or close more it would be pointless in perfection. Two antennae now turn about on his head's sides where ears need to be, but they were his ears now.

"Whoa, robot's big… and shiny."

"He's so cute!" The two other girls give a look as Bubbles had giggled, "Well he is it's like a shiny big puppy."

"Foolish little mortals I am the ultimate automaton. I am, Ultron."

"Ultron? What genius made that name?"

"The Avengers, before I had my newest acquisition destroy them. As for you I was ordered to oversee the destruction of this pitiful city before the falling of their kind, now I am supposed to capture you three, or preferably just one of you. Which of you is willing to live and not suffer my purification?"

"Sorry," Blossom looks to the other two and they give little smirks "we have other plans. Isn't that right girls?"

In their answer the three fly straight on their opponent. Ultron has little change while the three colorful blurs pass him at first, but eventually his shoulder would pitch or a leg would kind of buckle they were hitting him as they passed him. Ultron did not seem worried and only crossed his long arms over his wide chest while they struck away. The three girls ceased their attacks and floated in the air looking at his now tapping fingers, "I'm not sure, but, isn't he supposed to go all limp and painfully screaming on the ground?"

Blossom looks over to Buttercup frowning, "I think we need a new plan."

"We could ask him to go away." The two girls look to their blonde haired sister, "It worked with that big orange monster… didn't it?"

Blossom looked at their mechanical enemy and then she saw several exposed wires still sparking, a lamp post broke off from the ground, and a bus was in the distance, "I think… girls! Come here I have an idea!" the three huddle and when Blossom tells them her plan Buttercup punches her fist into an open palm as Bubbles giggled, "So, you got the plan!" The two others nod, "Okay girls lets get going!"

Blossom flew to the wires and pulled them out as far as she could. Flashing past Ultron she wraps one of his legs in the wires allowing the charge to jolt his body. When she looked he was merely kicking at the wires, '_He's not affected by electrical overload? I hope the others get better luck!'_

As Ultron finally pulls off his wires the sight of a green blur caught him off guard. The swing of a metal pole made the beast's large upper body buckle over; now uneven he stumbles on his two feet backwards. Buttercup comes again and bobs his body forward this time. She passes over and over, striking again and again as he tried to straighten up. In one passing there was a strange sound and Buttercup stopped her attacks. Looking to the lamp post she grimaced at the missing pole's end, and looks to see the large retractable blade coming out from Ultron's one elbow before it returns inside his arm.

The next thing is Bubbles, she has over her head a large bus which she tossed and Ultron caught it. However, she let her eyes glow and fired into the gas tank making a large explosion. The flames funnel around the robotic monster and soon she smiled as it seemed to work. Then the dust cleared in the rushing blue light, Bubbles screams as her shoulder was hit. She fell to the ground and a loud sound of something large landing around her was the last she knew. Looking up Bubbles was wide eyed as Ultron's legs were planted at the opposite sides of her head. His one fist was rising up in a punch with the knuckle spikes growing in length and now spinning like drills. As he prepared to strike, the sound of energy crackling made a wall crumble on him, and Bubbles was covered in blackness disappearing while the fist plowed the dirt.

Bubbles blinks, and she found a young man moving away his cape to show he teleported her, it was Kid Wicked? Robin leaps into the fray asking "Are you the PPG? Powder Puff Gals?"

Buttercup screams as she lands, "Power Puff, POWER PUFF! How come everyone says it wrong?"

Blossom lands with a 'Hush' sound, "We're the Power Puff Girls, Blossom," she moved her head to Buttercup who crossed her arms and pouts her lips to the sky, "Buttercup," then she moved her head to Bubbles who was blushing while Kid Wicked has helped her up, "and that's Bubbles."

"Good I came to see if you would reconsider joining the Teen Titans." He looked now to the large amount of rubble "Looks like we came ju-." A loud crashing sound and a metallic fist ripped through the rubble, followed by another and then Ultron pulled himself out from the hole made. "Oh, wow… just what we needed. You know who that is?"

"He says he's Ultron."

"I know that… Ultron the Ultimate, a mechanized automaton with the most advanced A.I. ever, and worse yet the thing is made from entirely Adamantium making him virtually indestructible!"

"Ah, someone knows of me. For a human you certainly seem well advised." Ultron looked over the teens gathered, Jinx still sparking with pink energy and Kid Flash now rushing to the sidelines Ultron gave a very distasteful glare "I want the three females give me them and I will spare you."

Robin swung his staff around his front and back, a smirk he positioned the staff under his arm and outstretched his free hand giving a cocky little gesture, "You want them come and take them!"

Ultron laughs in a mechanized fashion, "I was calculating on it child!"

The Ultron leapt into battle, a strong punch and then a slap tossed back Robin and let open the next. Kid Flash flew around Ultron landing punches but he stopped to show his red beaten fists, a whimper on his face. Ultron was about to strike with his tail but Jinx flung a bolt to cause Kid Flash the trip out of the tail's way. She lands next to him and he asks "Did you just try to save me?"

"What?" She looked at his little smile "Oh god, just get up and fight you looser!"

Kid Wicked was flashing in and out from punches, kicks, and tail strikes as Ultron was now targeting the dark teen. While he did Bubbles, Blossom, and Buttercup were gathering their energy in their hands the energy a collective of power imitating their own colors. Ultron struck a punch on Kid Wicked but Kid Wicked only gave a smile as he disappeared. The sound of energy crackling and Ultron turned about to be hit straight in the chest, hard. The beam pushed him into the ground, but he stood firm and pushed back the beam with his own body. The girls begin to accumulate their power more but he still stood there. Blossom screams, "It's not working! Pull it off girls!"

They stop firing and find only some scuffs and smoke on Ultron's chest. He was not going down easy. While he stood dominant Robin was preparing a strike from behind. He was in the air with staff over head when Ultron's upper body swirled around from the hips and startled the boy wonder. Ultron grabbed Robin by the throat and held him up in the air, his grip was used to choke slam Robin into the ground so he could pivot his lower body around and place a foot onto Robin's chest. "You wasted your time boy. I am the ultimate automaton, Ultron!" while Ultron bore his foot down on Robin's body Jinx charged her hexes, while Kid Flash and the PPG all gathered together and flew straight into Ultron. Their combined forces in four strong jabs vaulted the large beast straight off his feet. They flew apart as Kid Wicked warped out Robin and Jinx released her blasts. Ultron had slammed into a large building, the bolts struck the structure and caused it to collapse, Ultron laughed at the attempt but then also the streets and sidewalks began to crackle. The ground fell into itself and the building only added to rubble inside the crater forged. Somewhere in the mess was Ultron, not hurt or even harmed but temporarily disoriented and buried.

Jinx had to stop on her knee as the others were safe. Kid Flash zoomed over to her and offered a hand, "So, you still think you're bad luck?"

"Shove it!" She did just that to his hand while standing. "Are we going to get out of here or what?"

Robin gave a look to the rubble, "We better hurry the longer we waste the sooner he's on our backs." The team ran for the Titans Ship where they began to jump in. Robin took his seat, while Kid Wicked leapt into another. Blossom forced Bubbles and Buttercup to take one set while she had the one for herself. Jinx had to let Kid Flash sit on her lap again… and she hated him for it.

While the ship escaped the rubble crater was torn apart. Ultron stood at its bottom looking up at the ship disappear now too far away to catch, "Impressive, for mere mammals." His stride was echoing in the mechanized fashion, while he planned to head back to a ship and return to his next site of operation, "I do hope I meet them again. They would make excellent re-constructs."

* * *

Jinx pushed a button, "So, now what?" Robin looked to his screen and pushed a button opening a link, "We're heading back to Watchtower. I don't know what else to do. Things are just…" Suddenly, Robin was just gone! The ship twirled around and only the transportation of Kid Wicked saved them all. He took the helm; Jinx slammed her fist on her panel "What the hell happened?" 

Kid Wicked shrugged. She now looked to his empty pod, "Um, since a pod opened… can I use it?"

Wicked had to now glare on the horizon as he piloted the ship. He was a bit preoccupied to deal with her wishes. When she realized he was ignoring her, Jinx gave a look that would kill before slamming her head back into her seat. Kid Flash had a smile, asking "What's wrong beautiful?"

"Do you ever stop…?" Her eyes were half-shot, "God, this whole mess is ridiculous. I went from trying to control the world to now saving it. Where the hell did I go wrong this morning?"

* * *

Snow covered fields with the majestic beauty that comes only with peaceful scenery. The peaceful scenery is however shattered with a large explosion. The cause was Starfire's bolts, now she readied another but one hand in a blue glove clasps her hand. Darkseid gave an endangering glare while he pulled a fist back. While it came forward, Star shot her eyes on his fist causing it to stop, fingers now smoking with ruined gloves. Starfire planted her foot firmly over Darkseid's chest, but his smoking hand clasped her ankle and swung her overhead before slamming her to the icy tundra under them. He would have added his foot to her now stuck form, but her eyes blast again and thrusts him off the ground some inches away where he now slammed to the tundra. 

Pushing off her quaking legs, Starfire looked over to the white ice rising as Darkseid was still lying still. She now gathered her energy in her arms before readying to sling them all, but two red beams struck her shoulder causing the bolts to spiral off course and now he could stand and fire again. The second shots struck her along the ground. Standing tall and cruel, Darkseid points to her eyes, "You have eye beams," He now points to his own, "But I have eye rays. One keeps going and the other looses power as they go. Needless to say, I win, girl."

Starfire was able to get to her one knee, but Darkseid had stormed at her with one leg cocked in the end for a massive kick, one that flung her into the air high. While she plummets Darkseid pulled an open hand back, forward the hand thrusts and snatches the girl's face. He screamed in the sprint towards a tree covered in snow, but the tree cracks up the center with snow falling over them both. With the tree falling over them in splinters Darkseid grinned. The glow of green not only melts snow to water, but flung back the hand now completely free of its glove. Star let a roar go free and began to strike her fists over the bare chest, moving quickly to the face and jaw she left off a massive set of punches with one far back haymaker. Darkseid tumbled tiredly on his own heels, staggering with minimal recognizance Star charged her eyes and hands before one overwhelming, unholy mass of power that sprung Darkseid through the air and into the strange spaceship. Starfire slowly lands on the ground with the moment to take in some much needed breaths.

* * *

When Darkseid pushed out from his planted seat, he looked onto Colossus still holding an unconscious soldier. Colossus drops the soldier ready to fight, but Darkseid turned out the hole and ran towards it. "I'll kill you Troq! Hear me? I'll KILL YOU!" 

Colossus was not too surprised so he moved through the ship some more. He had no time to waste. The smell of fine liquor and music was up ahead, music he knew his brother once… "Mikhail, could it be?"

As Colossus was going to rip open the doors beam of light bounced off his back. Kitty now popped out and saw Dr. Light who was not only freaked by the beam's ineffectiveness but now a second head, "Ho-holy crap! What are you?" He is then smacked over the head by a metal pipe suspended in mid-air? The mechanical voice adds "Glad I came here aren't you?" Soon Red X showed up and he looked to his belt now dead, "Crap, the batteries are dead. I need that Xinothium!"

"Xinothium?" Shadow Kat stepped out of Colossus who now was distracted from his previous target "Isn't that what Red Star makes?"

Red nodded, "Sadly, but I'm not able to get anymore. It's too far out there then I heard some of these guys are transporting it here! Their using that Darkseid guys tech to move it instantly from Red Star's home here so I can steal it and be done with it." He now sighed, "I guess I'll have to do it the hard way without the gear."

Shadow Kat kind of looked sad, "Sorry we screwed you up."

"Aw, no problem! I like a challenge. Now you two behave yourselves. I'll be taking on my own little nuisance as you do yours."

Colossus looked to the door as Red was heading to his little collection of Xinothium, "It will be difficult."

Shadow Kat phased into his body, and a giggle chimed his head, "You won't be alone big guy. You may be tough, but even you have a weakness."

"I… I am…" He seemed worried, so she whispered "its okay I'll be there for you."

He nods and with a sign of determination he kicked the door down. When the door fell a beam blasted him out the way. Slowly, a figure in a purple skin tight suit stepped out with red eyes, and bare yellow skin covered the hands, and head. With a stern sneer, a strong squared like jaw grinds its teeth. "Nicholi, you disappoint me."

"Mikhail?" Colossus was stunned, "You look so… so…"

"Different? It is a sign of my power. The power I found to distort reality and make doorways to other worlds. After time, I gained an intellect and replaced my humanity with cybernetics. You can not believe the worlds I found, brother."

"I do not care! You kidnapped our own sister, Illyana!"

Colossus grabbed hands with his brother in a bout of strength, "Why brother? Why did you return to hurt the ones who love you?"

"I do not recognize such little things. Illyana will be useful for the program, as will the other fools we gathered. You would be wise to join us."

"Damn you!" Colossus is struck in the gut, "No, damn you brother! Damn you for your idiocy!"

"Hey," Kat popped out of Colossus's back while Mikhail was going to use an overhead dual-fist swing, "He's smarter than you! He knows what it means to care!"

"Wh-what the hell…" Colossus flung up his uppercut smashing Mikhail out the large window in his special room. Colossus had to smile to Kat, "Thank you my dearest Kitten."

"Um… sure…"

"There's that strange heat feeling again?" Colossus looked out from the shattered glass and saw his brother standing, and waiting, so he screamed with his plummeting mass. He screamed with so much hate for what his brother is, and what he was going to have to do.

* * *

With the loud thundering clang of their forces rose the large walls of snow. This snow broke off into many directions and one such was around Starfire and Darkseid. His hatred began to fuel his strikes, and her rage fueled the determination. The two were like some sort of freight trains barreling down on one another, their forces destined to crash and you couldn't help but watch while they do. Darkseid released his two handed upwards swing, plowing Starfire over the snowy fields towards a large rock where she slammed into and crushed it. Darkseid now fell to one knee and breaths so haggard wheezed deeply to his chest. Starfire was also feeling taxed as both opponents worked on the other in defiant manners. Her one eye is now closed over and slightly the lids of her one eye were going a slightly purple color. While her one bottom lip was cut a little dab of blood leaked over her chin, dripping onto her own stomach. 

Star was hunched over in the rocks, suspending her two arms were bits of rubble, and as she let her head hang forward she saw and heard Darkseid now resting himself. She also heard more noises behind her. These noises were of her friend Sabretooth fighting with rage echoing roars. There is also a sickening laughter from whoever he was fighting. He was not going to have an easy fight either, but maybe, that was what they all had. She now wished Robin was here. He was a spectacular leader and so help her, he was the support for every fight. Her mind's view of Robin is shattered with a large form slamming the rocks down with two spread feet. Darkseid was ready, and he signed that with his towering form over her now pummeling her with overhead club like swings of his double-handed fists. Rocks began to shatter and flip about, one such pebble rolled into the woods where laughter grew and grew, along with roars of hate and anger.

* * *

Sabretooth swing his claws with maddening speeds, but the fat head Sugar Man steps swiftly on his two little feet. Sugar Man held in each of his four arms hammers with block like heads. Soon as Sabretooth latched forward a hammer was greeting his claws, sometimes they hit the hands making their knuckles or fingers break skin, blood soon follows but disappears immediately with the cold air affecting the healing attributes of Sabretooth's mutant power. 

While Sugar Man swung his hammers, up or down, left with a right, Sabretooth could easily out maneuver. This ease now made Sugar Man realize what was happening, he was being toyed with similar to the way a cat toys with a mouse. It was in this case a cat that was tearing into a rat, an insidious rat that hurt his family. Blink, the young mutant he saved still has nightmares from Sugar Man. He was worse than the Boogey Man, because for that kid you can't say he's not real, he was her past. The thoughts of her and this creature's experiments fueled him to now smack the many hammers one by one out of the way.

Sugar Man knew he was in for it, so he had to think of something. As the last hammer was gone, Sugar Man reached with his free hands for three Uzis. The bullets spray wild while Sabretooth made his retreat. With several wounds the mutants were in different positions. Sabretooth now had hidden away behind a large tree, while Sugar Man fired off his guns with a loud laughter. Sabretooth had to snarl, his new injuries were healing but man they hurt. The bullets were also widling at the tree and he wanted to stop that. Pressing his back on the tree he now pushed off his feet. The tree begins to creak and pull out from the ground. Sugar Man ran out of the trees plummet with a smile. However, the tree is lifting off the ground and was used like a bat.

While Sugar Man bounced off trees like a pinball from some kid's arcade, Sabretooth raised the tree up into the air. A scream and one fierce swing down caught Sugar Man underneath. With the mutant under the tree Sabretooth gave a cocky grin. He laid his foot onto the tree to roll it off the Sugar Man, and knelt down to fling the mutant up and around some more. That was stopped with a red tongue swinging around and planting a strike over Sabretooth's back neck. Sabretooth is lost and dropped cold; his body lost all motor skills. He knew it would heal and he'd be able to move again but there is more, a syringe now fell to the ground, there was a sedative in the last strike.

Sabretooth was somehow not able to act on his own accord with the extent of his limbs now numb. Sugar Man waddles over rubbing his nose and chin, "Dang, you really went crazy on me. I don't usually think I'm going to die." Sabretooth looked on with hate as the Sugar Man gave a little quirk in his brow, "You still want a piece of me? I guess she means something to you."

"You little, she's been through enough of those experiments I won't let you hurt her again!"

There was a moment Sugar Man seemed confused, but as his eyes brightened and his teeth grew wide with a smile he asked "She only talked about the experiments? She never told you about the other stuff, did she?"

Sabretooth was the one confused now, so Sugar Man in his dark, twisted mind figured he could hold off revenge for a sick sense of satisfaction, "Okay, so let's see… ever wonder about the times she awoke at night? The nightmares she would often reel about in her covers? How about, the times you tried to comfort her and she was more frightened when someone touched her?" Sabretooth still didn't quite get it, the experiments were some nasty ones he knew that. Sugar Man had a frown when he knew that this fierce freak didn't get it, "Not the brightest of them are you?"

"She told me about the experiments, I saw those machines… what else could you…"

"Harrumph to you! Fine, let's say, she's not as innocent as you think she is. What I mean is," Sugar Man got his sick smile up into Sabretooth's face, licking his tongue over the many razor sharp fangs he whispered darkly "She wasn't so innocent _after_ I was done with her, get it?" Then he began to laugh like before.

That sick laugh started to get Sabretooth to see certain things, things he could only imagine. His lips curled over fangs of his own, Sabretooth had begun to feel a rush of adrenaline as his mind scanned the recesses of his mentality. It was obvious what this walking zit did to her now. "You, molested her?"

"Hm, guess we're not as dumb as I thought!" The laugh echoed louder, his tongue swung along his mouth wildly with bilious laughter. The more he laughed, the angrier Sabretooth became, and the faster his body healed. When the rage grew so high Sabretooth's eyes began to change they had now no human quality but they became more feral. Launching his head forward Sabretooth snatched in his mouth the flapping red tongue which he bit into with his own fangs. Sugar Man was stunned with it and screamed loudly. When he bit his large mouth down, Sabretooth pulled his head out allowing Sugar Man to bite off his own tongue! "Gah!"

Sugar Man looked now on Sabretooth and he shook with fear. Sabretooth's face was scrunched in on itself, the muscles tightened all over his body with adrenaline and hate. Looking at Sabretooth was like looking on a savanna lioness coming back to their pride only finding some stray hyena feasting on their young; it was so much like that in Sabretooth's mind. Sugar Man made a mad dash out of the woods but Sabretooth, on all fours, charged after fiercely. In a leap of all four limbs, Sugar Man is flung to the dirt where Sabretooth gripped his claws into one of the arms where he began to pull and tear.

With each of Sugar Man's screams came a sound of bone breaking. On every surge of Sabretooth's rage was the sound of flesh ripping. At each moment Sugar Man was foolish enough to ask for mercy, for Sabretooth to stop, Sabretooth just screamed in his rage, "How many times did she beg?" soon followed with a loud sound of screaming and tearing almost simultaneous. It was not too long after that the fat troll did not move, he did not breathe, he was just an amassed collection of bone and meat bare and crushed. Sabretooth cocked his one leg onto the mass and pitched his head, hair matted in blood, into the air he pitched them both high in a collective roar from every animal he ever met. His scream echoes the woods and made the tress seem to shake in recognition. Soon, his body grew numb. Without the adrenaline the sedative was taking its full effect. Sabretooth stumbled back off the mess and took a moment to groan. He fell on his back hard and loud, soon he asked, "Kid, was this good enough? Did I do you some good?" His eyes were blurring over with sleep, "If I get back alive… I need to make… it up to… her…"

Sleeping he did not notice something moving now in the fleshy mess. From what was his appendix a set of four little arms popped out? A large face showed through the organ and slowly it squeaked with a tadpole like bottom swaying its back. When it was free and now moving over the snow it turned to Sabretooth, it screamed and swished off leaving a trail of yellow snow in its wake, he wouldn't underestimate this one again.

* * *

While this tadpole like Sugar Man ran off, it swerved under a pair of purple boots, along with blue ones. Starfire and Darkseid were in a struggle of power pushing on the other. Darkseid seemed to be winning as his smile got bigger and she seemed to be buckling on her knees, but instead Star pushed her head into Darkseid's jaw knocking him off. Flying off from her last hit she was in the air where she slipped around on a straight course for Darkseid's chest. Darkseid saw her plow, and so he sidestepped to slap her off course and to the ground again. 

Darkseid laughed while she weakly pulled out of the snowy dirt. Running then jumping onto her, he was suspended in the air by two powerful eye beams. She shot him in the chest and held him right in mid air before a surge of her power thrust him back away from her. Standing on her one leg, the other now seemed to be hurt so she tended after it a little. Starfire began to create her bolts where she flung them at Darkseid. Darkseid is struck by several making him sort of tumble back on his heels. He however got control and swats the bolts away from himself.

* * *

The bolts rebound and flicker over snow and ice. One of the bolts sparked over some ice where Colossus and Mikhail were in a bout of fists. The sudden sound of ice cracking, they realize the bolt caused their footing to loosen and so they both plummet down a large expanse of ice. As the ice began to settle with them, Mikhail saw his brother Colossus still slightly out of it. Stepping slowly towards his enemy Mikhail raised his arms over head, ready to send a crushing blow, but a woman's head pops out of Colossus's back causing him to loose concentration "Oh god! Colossus, behind you!" 

Colossus acts with a swift uppercut sending his brother up and down again; shifting more ice Mikhail sinks into the ice a little as he now was struck. Colossus smiled inwardly saying "Thank you Kitten it was a good thing you helped me."

Mikhail was now pushing out from the ice, "That little girlfriend of yours has really begun to annoy me," Mikhail fired his fist with the scream of "BROTHER!"

"You are not my brother!" Mikhail missed as Colossus ran around the blast. He made far swung punches to Mikhail sending the brother to a sort of private la-la land. Those strikes were filled with rage, and hate, his brother was supposed to be dead. His brother died a hero to their family and now he reappeared as a villain, no, a monster. Mikhail fell to his own knees as Colossus held his fists in rage, "Why? Why did you turn to this?"

"Power!" Mikhail struck Colossus between the legs, and as Colossus cringed Mikhail rushed his brother with a grapple. On top of Colossus, Mikhail began to way-lay his fists to the face of his metallic sibling "The powers I had as a mutant were exceptional. I could distort doors between worlds, connect them, and report of their existence. I controlled a power of a god and deserved to be as such! Once I was a mere mortal, but now look at me!" Mikhail stood off his brother to clench a fist, "Yes, look at me! I am powerful, my body mutated to a new form! I can command my militia to conquer any enemy and soon in the world they will create, the Kagejin will make, I will become a god of war! Life will succumb to death and I will stand as its vendor. See the world I will thrive in, the world our sister will suffer through!"

As Mikhail swung the fist down, Colossus saw Illyana in his mind. He rolled out from the fist as it was now stuck in the ice. Mikhail pulled, but he was stuck. Colossus gripped himself as he rose up, seeing a large chunk of ice he thought, and he decided with a snarl and grasp of the ice. Mikhail pulled his fist slightly freed before he heard the shifting behind him. Looking over his shoulder was Colossus with the ice chunk in one hand over head, looming over Mikhail he had a face of hate and disgust, "My brother…" Colossus looked at Mikhail, his eyes wide in shock, but the shock turned to hate and Colossus screamed "You're not my brother!"

The ice fell from a curled fist, a thwack echoes the air, and Mikhail fell to the ground hard. More rushes of wind and thwacks with speed caused sickening splattering sounds. Kitten pulled out of Colossus holding her mouth, horrified with what she was watching. Colossus swung his arm with the ice, now turning red, high into the air and back down. Mikhail was now twitching his legs under the wide spread stand of Colossus. Colossus dropped the block of red ice letting it roll down the snow and ice, and he turned with blood over his one side, his hands at his waist he looked at how he was so bloody but his steel skin kept him from feeling it. Kitten was so in awe with his face that was so sad and terrified with what he did. She walked to him, and he flinched as her hand touched his cheek. The steel peeled off and Colossus felt his skin now warm with blood. He lost control, crying into the shoulder of Kat he seemed lost with the world. Kat had to hold his head to her shoulder while whispering with her kind words, "I'm here, remember?"

* * *

The red ice rolled slowly across the terrain, where it is crushed under Darkseid who screams with the ice under his fall. Starfire plowed her two feet straight into his stomach, where he screamed from pain but quickly grabbed her ankle and flung her into the ground next to him. The two were flat on their backs, but Darkseid rolled over onto her putting his full weight on her. His hands wrapped her neck and he pushed off his strangling hold making an effort to choke the girl. Starfire gave a look to his face before firing her eyes into his own, but he was smart enough to back off and backed away. "No, not this…" the next beam missed him as he dropped under it, and then he shoulder rammed the teenager with hatred, "not this time girl!" 

Looking outside a window the professor, Professor Chang watched the scenes now mingling, "This turned into one massive mess. At least we took the Xinothium, eh?" He turned to his collection of tubes with the red chemical. After the teens left he had men steal all their supplies. "Now if we could only get our hands on Red Star we would be set. Too bad he won't just give in."

"No? You think?" Red X pulled Chang around and into the metal wall knocking the doctor out. He looked around and found some test tubes with the red material. He gave a little smirk under his mask as he popped one open and put its contents into his belt. The machine began to power up, and he chuckled while he took some more tubes for later. "I guess this wasn't a total loss." He now looked out the window and saw to the distance Batman, he had to frown, "I wonder if he could… no, not my problem. I got what I needed now I can get out of here." Red X put the last tube into his belt and began to look for a vehicle… but he stopped, and turned to the window where he broke it and leapt out to the battle field, "I hate this, hate this, and did I mention I hate this!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Batman was flinging a soldier over his back in a judo throw. He now looked to find many of their opponent soldiers were now basically either on the ground KO, or fending off the urge to run away barely. "You know! This seemed a little easy." 

Ice, the permafrost princess tossed up her hair before kicking her heel into one soldier, covering him in ice over the torso and arms making him top heavy and fall to the ground. "Yes these mercenaries are not very merciless."

A sound of ice shifting, the two see a black heeled boot deepening to the ground with one arm on the hip, Madame was now giving a little smirk to the two. Soldiers ran by her, and she gave a glare not to them but her disgust was directed to their cowardice. Her arm bent back and struck them without her even turning around, it stretched far enough to hit several men at one swing. Soon the arm melds back to her hip and she only scoffs to their cries of bones shattered, "A small price paid for ingrates. However," She now fully gave her scold to the two heroes "You're not going to get off as easily."

Batman took the initiative, pulling out several of his batarangs he flung them in three spots. Madame didn't seem too worried merely tossing them away with a flick of her wrists. He now pulled three more and tossed them, she swat and these three explode after contact. Blinded from the smoke Ice started showering Madame with ice shards, watching the smoke puff while swallowing them whole. Ice gave a little smile but soon the sight of black tendrils ripping out and down again made the two heroes now rolling and jumping. The tendrils were actually fingers. As they weaved and bent, around and underground these black moving things caused the ground to crack. The two heroes finally caught on, she was trying to make the ground crush them.

Batman was nimble and experienced so he leapt from the now sinking ice piece by piece until off from the crater. Ice didn't seem so capable so only when he turned around did he realize she was sunk in the hole too. He now started trying to get his hands on one of his grappling hooks, but a large chunk of the ice breaks out and lands near him letting Ice slowly strut off the shard. "It was very unusual she chose to attack me with the very element I control."

Batman, looking around to only see them now, had to nod. "That was strange. So you're safe?" She struts more; her swishing of her hips was wide and defined, "I am safe. We perhaps should go to the others; Red Star will need our help I'm sure."

"Yes… are you sure you don't need some help?" She looked confused, and more confusion arose while the grappling line wrapped around her several different times. Her one arm rolled under her bosom now Ice was changing colors and shapes, to Madame, "Ooh, a man who knows what I like. Brains, and of course leather/titanium restraints." Her eyes were not as flirtatious as they were intrigued, "What gave it away?"

"Your walk. Ice is a little bit shyer than you are. She also is nicer to look at."

"Ah, too bad." Her fingers wiggled out from the bands and struck Batman's hand, now her body expanded, stretched through the top, and back outside the bands she kicked the restraints under her foot, "I was going to think twice about keeping you, but no one makes a remark of my looks!"

She swung her fist out like a band of rubber with a hammer on the end. Batman rolled under the arm as it stretched past him and crushed some rocks. She was strong, and flexible, a man's dream but violent as hell! Leaping and dodging, Batman made his efforts to stay in front of jabbing springs, stretching kicks, along with the incoming whirling forearm-presses. Her body was a weapon, with nine other weapons following soon after. While Batman pulled out a rang, his eyes pop while he fell on his face. Looking to what tripped him Batman saw the black boot. Madame stretched her body to the foot, before swinging her other foot up and on Batman's chest. She didn't say it, or mouth it, but the look in her eye as her hand seemed to change to a drill, meant 'Game Over'.

When the fist came down a shield of ice covered a surprised Batman. Madame cracked a spot in the ice, but she turned to see the princess Ice now running on her. Madame gave a little smile as she flipped back from a punch, somersaulting several steps away before landing and whipping her hair from her eyes. "Girl, leave the fighting to the pros."

Ice didn't seem worried while her hands covered in ice shards. Madame flung her hands under the ice and tore out a huge hunk she now flung toward Ice. It was not the brightest idea as Ice controls that very element. With her powers the ice shattered apart to shards now brushing past Ice's smiling face. Madame now ducked and weaved from ice gauntlet punches. She now laughed as Ice's strikes only briskly made a chilled wind over her own skin. Ice got irritated, and angry, and she then began to loose control. Ice didn't act she just attacked. Madame had a wicked glare in her eyes, lust, or blood lust came in her eyes. Ice was attacked with ice balls, but Ice made the ice balls shatter and disappear. In the mess Madame now struck forward with her right hand, but her hand was a knife like object. Ice winced and screamed with a protrusion in her chest. Madame pushed in deeper and harder as Ice fell under the force. It seemed like she wouldn't stop until Ice lye dead, but the X shaped beam burning on Madame's face swung her off the young woman and to the protruding ice.

Red X skid to a halt where Batman was, "Sorry I'm late…" the fist ripped out of the ice and gripped Red over the throat, "Gah, said I was sorry!"

Batman tossed Red out of the way before now tearing it to Ice. Kneeling down he held her up slightly, "You okay kid?"

She only held the wound and groaned. It was a deep stab and in the worst of places. Batman looked at the wound and his eyes dropped, "She's not going to make it."

"What?" Red realized what has happened and he let his eyes sink too. The sound of shifting and he looked to Madame, she was shaking her head of the fuzziness that last hit gave. A scream of rage soon followed with her fists tight as vices, Red was not able to ignore what happened since he left, the girl's dead or dying because he ran away, and luckily he had something to take his anger and disappointment out on. Red put up his palms making tons of beams each the symbol of an X. Red was nicked at first but she began to dodge the later blasts. Space was now gone between the two, Red leapt over her punch and pushed himself off her arm, to land a kick with aerobatic accuracy and finesse. She tumbled and he rolled under her legs, pushing up he hooked his legs under her arms and swung her back around so her head smashed to the ground. With her pinned Red thought he had a chance to use some more weapons, but her arms lurched and wrapped the fighter before pulling him up and in the air before dropping him like a sack of bad potatoes, but more force echoed the ground when they hit. Madame stood up to look at her work, but thousands of Xs began to spray all around her and glow across the ground. The Xs were glowing brighter, and brighter, she realized what happened only a second as the Xs blew up all around her. The ice and steam seemed to collect all around the air. Red stood a little stunned; his new supply was really strong.

"Ice, are you awake kid?" Red looked back seeing Batman still holding her. She was a little less upset, or less painful to look at. Red looked her in the eyes and something seemed to sink inside him, he lowered his head in shame. This was in a way his fault, or so he believed. If he hadn't left them before they attacked maybe, just maybe this wouldn't have happened. The two men were too preoccupied, because Madame was now silently stalking behind them. As she raised both hands over head they merge to make a mallet, high up it stretched, and before her momentous strike would hit the sudden ice covering her stopped her movement. Ice's hand glowed as she stopped Madame's attack; she then laid back into the hold of the dark knight with a smile. "It was such an interesting chance, to finally live the dream I had when first I heard. When the time came for the Justice League merging and now I too was able to become one of them if not but one day."

Batman held her tightly, though he knew nothing of her or who she was he knew she fought with him and a life is a life, it is always worth knowing and respecting. Her face was very tranquil, so much that as she smiled Red had to lower himself even more. Her head fell back in the dark knight's hold, not fast but more like a slow release. After that Batman laid her down and took off his cape he wrapped it around her body like a slight sleeping bag and then he stood to look over the way of noise "We best get moving."

"What about…"

"We don't have time to say prayers or remorse. We have to fight, she understood that."

* * *

A sudden blast of power and Starfire falls back hard, soon she's kicked in the ribs across the ice skidding to a halt. Darkseid laughs in the wake of her tortured frame, beaten and bloody she had so little left. He was wrong though, as she pushed slowly up she had more will, and courage than he could ever understand. Starfire put her shaky feet to the test while holding her weight and Darkseid readied his anger for another attack. The two red beams exit his eyes on her, but Star has glowed green from her eyes, hands, and now her body. The emerald sphere collected and caused the red blasts to shatter apart. Darkseid watched with the sound of a female scream echoing the terrain, next he's engulfed by the green orb and a massive explosion rackets the area. Ice and steam lifts to the air as the light is gone. Starfire stood taking deep breaths. When she saw a figure coming towards her she lost the breathing, her body slightly went still. Darkseid stood there, looking at her, and his eyes glow deep red. However, his knees buckle and his eyes close over. A thunderous slam is heard as Darkseid passes out right at Starfire's feet, and she smiles, she actually won. 

As her body was overjoyed it seemed to lose power, she fell back into strong muscular arms. Red Star pulled her onto her feet but still held her "I am sorry it took me so long. The soldiers have pulled back completely." He looks to the battle field the two now demolished, "Your people are quite resilient, if not just yourself."

She smiled at the words of kindness. "Thank you," She was now noticing how close they were and it somewhat got her embarrassed. "Um, may we perhaps have more distance?"

"What?" Red Star then got the idea and had a little blush "Yes, sorry…" he stood her on her two feet and the two smile a little embarrassed, then the sound of rustling was the sign of the monster amoeba returning. The two get ready, but the monster was not able to attack. From its body sprout now two metal tentacles that were like worms squirming through its body, the amoeba began to buckle and roll about with someone on its back. The monster disappeared into the tentacles, causing the man to stand with his body glowing red before the energy dissipated in him. The man was a blonde haired man, with pale gray skin like it was not alive. His hair is styled in a pony while his eyes were red and unholy. From his hands came two metal tentacles that roll and wrap back into his arms. The man wore all red, with white boots at his feet differing the normally red style. His cheeks are bare of skin, showing now flesh but metallic diodes and devices. He now gave a stern glare of brows quite cold, and his head is with the bandanna of the Omega symbol. Red Star knew the man, the machine, the Russian WEAPON, called, "Omega Red? I thought they removed you from the project years ago!"

Omega Red gives a nod but his thoughts turn to the battle field. He saw now coming to them was Colossus and Kitten, leaving the dead Mikhail behind them. Madame is frozen, and Ice dead, but Batman and Red X were moving on the spot as well. Omega Red turns to the ship where soldiers were still prepared to fight so they move at the sign of Omega's fingers flicking them to come. The many soldiers carry guns and weapons, Darkseid is now conscious but not able to do more but push up off his knees. "Kill them, kill them all Omega!"

Omega Red did not heed those words; he instead asked "What are your demands?"

The heroes are lost for words, and Darkseid grabs Omega's ankle, "What are you doing! We can kill them all!"

"I had orders Darkseid, orders that overtake your own demands. Now that Mikhail is… well, he's not able to command. I figure since you're out of the loop, I could take this match myself. I'll take the battle in a more profitable direction to say the least." Omega now pulled his foot free and asked "What do you demand?"

Red Star looked to the ship, "Unload the people you took. I want them freed."

"I agree, except for one. Mikhail had a special interest in the girl called…"

"Illyana!" Colossus stomped a foot down, "Release Illyana! Or I will take her myself!"

Omega didn't give anything but a snarl, "I set my demand I want the girl in exchange for those people."

Colossus gave no indifference, he soon began a thunderous charge but Omega Red grabbed the large man's face tossing him with no effort. Colossus was on his back looking up to the man, or in his eyes monster, Omega Red. "How could you do that?"

"I absorbed that monster's power. It added to my strength, my powers, it made me stronger. Survival of the fittest little one that is what life in the tundra makes." Omega Red now looked to the heroes, "What I want now is you Red Star." The heroes got little looks of shock, "For your friends' safety I want you to come with us willingly and without any resistance. I would hate for another of your friends," he smirked to Ice, "to suffer for your cowardice."

"He will not fall for your attempts to bring his courage down. Friend Red Star is beyond such attempts!"

Red Star looked at Starfire so beat and tired, "No," She looked in shock, but he smiled, "It is quite alright. I will go with them in the promise you, your friends, and of course the people are left unharmed. It is my choice this time."

"It is the wrong choice! You must not allow yourself to just be taken! Please, you are my friend!"

He smiled to that, "It is out of our friendship I do this." He now looked up a little, "Also, if I'm not mistaken you said I was a coward. In a way I'm ready to stop being a coward and admit this time to be courageous."

"No!" Starfire lets her fists tighten and eyes glow, "I will not let you go! Not without a fight!"

The sudden change made Omega Red begin to ready for a fight, but she was just… gone? She was there and then she was gone! Omega Red lowered his confused fists; Red Star was loosing it, "Starfire!" He looked to the villains "What did you do with her?"

"Nothing! I'm not wasting anymore time!" Omega Red points his men to the heroes, "What will it be boy?"

Red Star looked on the men, his friends all in stances, and he smiles to Batman, "You," Batman looked at Red Star, "when you see Starfire tell her thank you, and I'm sure she'll find me again."

The group watched as Red Star walked along with the other villains, Darkseid screams in anger as they take him along. Omega Red nods, and with a grin he says "We'll meet again. I'm looking forward to it."

The ship is boarded and begins to leave, last few soldiers report inside as the heroes stand and watch it leave. Sabretooth, who has been unconscious, was found healing the wounds he sustained. When he woke, he had to listen to what happened. He was left with the final idea, they failed, and he hated failing… miserably…

* * *

Two screaming figures clash hard to one another, flaming bodies mixing in their strikes. Holocaust fired his arm as Sunfire boost his fists through the pouring heat. They were not like anything seen before it was a collection of fire and power to one spot. As they fought, the others were left with no words or thoughts. Sasami has been rushed away as earlier Holocaust seemed targeted on the young princess. Naota was the one getting her out of there, but soon he seemed reclusive. He felt strange; he heard this sound like thunder in his head. The sound was actually some kind of skating sound; he has a huge smile on his face as he takes the bat in hand. When he turned to Sasami who was watching the fight as they hide he raised the bat overhead. The swing would have taken Sasami's head clear off but the intervention of Haruko knocked Naota out cold, and her swing made Naota's ear suddenly pop out a 5" tall Lil' Slugger. Slugger looked up to Haruko, who glared as she stomped the monster into the ground. It disappeared in black mist under her foot, '_You can't kill me.'_ She heard in her ear as the mist passed, '_It was our deal; I'll live in all their minds.'_

Haruko just snorted while flapping the smoke away. Sasami looked at the two a little worried, "Haruko?" The pink haired rocker looked over a little less pleased, but Sasami is upset so she let herself lighten up "The Jurai ships are never coming are they?"

"Probably not…" Haruko now squat down and pet Naota's hair, "I wish you came with me kid. Now I'm going to have to head on without you. I doubt I'll ever see you again." she whispers, "So I want you to know I love you, Naota-kun."

Sasami watches as Haruko called on her guitar over her one shoulder, soon the vespa came close behind her, "Hey, kid." Sasami looked up a little embarrassed, "Take care of Naota. I have to get a move on. Till we meet again see-ya… maybe."

Haruko revved her engine, but Sasami asked one more thing. "Do you… do you really love him?"

Haruko looked back and shrugged "I know one thing. I gave up on Atomsk for the kid, but now I think it's time I do something more. I can't be sure I love anything unless I can see what it is to give up the thing I love, to protect it."

* * *

The fight outside was heating up especially as these two fire beings let all their rage in full flame. Holocaust swung a club punch as Sunfire was flying mid air; he blocked the punch with a kick of one strong leg. Sunfire is able to kick the club off with his other leg and soon he creates a large fireball overhead before launching it. Holocaust dug his feet into the dirt; the ball of fire carries him back some distance but soon fails. The horrid visage of flaming skull now grinned darkly; Sunfire is only able to glare on more in his distaste of the monster he is fighting. 

The two go on in bouts of fire and power, unaware were the heroes something lands outside the hiding spot Sasami was in. Nimrod, the mechanized monstrosity now returned from what mission he had. His scanners pick up on Sasami and he's now moving on in for the kill. A loud thwack and a vine split the earth in front of Nimrod's march. Perhaps he wasn't as unknown as he expected. The large machine turned its screen toward the well dressed fox-demon, Kurama, with a large thorny vine whip as his weapon he asks "Would you be looking for the girl as well?"

Nimrod is not too concerned so it looks back to where the girl is hiding, but now a short man with all black has appeared, Hiei, "He asked you a question tin man."

Following behind the short man now came two students, one with red hair and the other with short black hair, "Hiei, Kurama; you think we need to ask a monster like this if he's bad or not?"

The red head nods, "You're right Yurimeshi," Kuwibara creates a red flame sword with his aura, "You don't have to be a genius to tell that thing's bad news shorty."

Hiei looks to the red head and snaps "You know the weather up there could become the weather down here if you keep saying height-jokes!"

"Enough the both of you!" Yusuke Yurimeshi, the Spirit Detective now looked on the mechanized minion with a stern glare, "Worry about the problem at hand guys."

The group initialized their attack with screams, Hiei taking the first strike. He was short, but so much faster, his speed was almost like invisibility as he ran straight into the much larger machine to deliver slashes and gashes over the protective armor. He hopped back on his heel to plunge all his force forward, but Nimrod slapped the sword making Hiei spiral up in the air. Calculation of a master computer, Nimrod raised his wrist to blast a searing beam to the upside down Hiei's back. Hiei screams as he was pulsed along the wind into a large heap of debris. Kurama swung his trusty whip latching over the arm of Nimrod, right before it fired so he could veer the beam away from the fallen comrade. Kurama smiled in hid upper hand, but another hand upheld his vine tossing him over in a perfect arc like some Saturday morning cartoon, back and forth he's being flung overhead by superior strength with his own vine the tether. Yusuke, irritated at the sight of his teammate like a toy is infuriated, soon he collects a shinning light in his palm before forming it to a perfectly shaped ball. With a masterful swing, the ball spirals on Nimrod but Nimrod pulls the tether to now bring Kurama to gripping. With Kurama's legs in each hand Nimrod swung at the ball, it churns into Kurama's abdomen where it struck and caused pains of both power and force. Kurama wails like the banshee of Scottish lore as the ball was spinning into his skin now leaving welts with a fiery touch. The ball finally gave way and dissipated, Nimrod tossed Kurama away with no regard to some rubble off in the distance.

Hiei pushed out of his spot of debris to see Kurama slamming to the dirt, he also saw Kuwibara making around the monster. He got a little grin before following to the front again. This time Hiei used his speed not as an offence but more distractive. Keeping Nimrod's scanners on him, Hiei pulled the attention from Kuwibara who now had his sword ready, and was climbing up a large mound of junk with intent to defeat this opponent. Hiei's strikes were doing nothing to the mech and its massive healing ability, but soon enough he pulled back with a grin. Kuwibara has leapt off the heap and into Nimrod with his sword through the top of the robots being. While on top, Kuwibara screams for his sword to become a javelin, the javelin is now lengthened to pierce the ground anchoring the robot into the ground.

The three heroes are venting in mirth, Hiei a daring grin while Kuwibara screams with a little dance. Yusuke had to shake his head at how well that worked. However, the robot stepped down its one foot, and then it defiantly walked allowing the javelin to rip it's body in half through the back. The sight of seeing your enemy purposefully mutilate itself can be a killer of one's morale, but it's almost as hard as watching the thing mend the hole through its back while walking away. Yusuke charge his hand like before and fired his patented 'Spirit Gun' but when he did Nimrod raised a hand to now push off the ball with a pillar of light from its very palm. The two powers push off one getting the upper hand after the other. But eventually Yusuke's ball dies out and Nimrod stops firing, winning.

Sasami was lost in her fear while watching the machine walk on them. It stalked with no end in sight. When it seemed lost, Naota awoke to see Sasami shaking and his head burns. Well, it burns with a very familiar symbol. Tons of eyes now glow behind him and a set of fangs open up wide. Naota turned quickly to Canti, who was with a large giant mouth gaping inside Canti's chest. As Nimrod raised his hand blowing open a hole into the hiding place, a red glowing fist struck through the smoke and dust to strike Nimrod away in one powerful punch. Nimrod is flung onto its back; he slammed like a slab of granite his shoulders and body staying straight and firm as always with its stance.

While Nimrod stood up, a red colored Canti now stood holding Sasami with one arm. She is blushing when she realized what happened, the beam came on her but this figure blocked the force with its own hands then opened up the hole letting her out. It looks to her, pushes her off a little like 'time you sit over there, sweet.' It was now looking back on the Nimrod raising one hand up and taunting by a gesture of its fingers.

Nimrod flew in full force; pulling an arm back it mixed momentum and force to create optimum power. However, Canti kicked up and flipped over the punch briskly only grabbing the wrist to move Nimrod's direction down some, and as Canti spun in the air he tucked a leg inward to later swing full circle and bare a powerful kick to the back of Nimrod's center. The power of nimrod now added with Canti's repositioned move, and the extra spur of force, causing the robot to bare its whole front side into the dirt up heaving a nice sized trail as it went down. Canti landed in a spry little flip, soon from a kneel to a complete dominant stance. Nimrod stood slowly before turning about quickly and opening up tons of compartments with weapons and missiles, unloading all these extra components a spray of smoke soon covered Canti. Explosives crackle along the framework of the mechanized Canti, but in the end only smoke remained. Nimrod's scanners went off the scale, and it soon began to create a field of energy over its hands before firing. Canti was struck by the fields, they smack into his open palms causing the smoke to funnel from the two beams and out. Canti pushed off the two beams with shaking arms, straining the forces back with every fiber of his being. The end result is finally the powers breaking and Canti charging through the shattering energy.

Nimrod's schematics on the robot it did not completely understand, they did not fathom the forces in Canti's processes. These were human like qualities, and before it could understand the more unusual powers it was now being punched repeatedly with powerful flurries of fists. Canti now struck with its massive force to the robot's body. His strikes were not seen but their effects are heard with sickening metal-on-metal breaking sounds. Nimrod's body has now many inward dents that slowly began to dent out again. Canti leaped over a backwards swing to now grip his one fist, and pushing his elbow to the exposed back of Nimrod launched it across the ground horizontally. Canti wasn't done yet, he now ran in speed to drop under Nimrod and past him, stopping short he then kicked both feet up as Nimrod was straight over him launching the android's body into the sky fast and precise. Canti swung up his legs to jump off the ground then hopped back a couple spaces to prepare for one more strike. This time Canti's body let steam flow out vents, and its arms swing into the dirt to allow the machine to form some large cannon, soon creating several pillars of grey matter. The cannon charged, and fired off a solitary glowing orb towards Nimrod who now was stopping in the air. The ball flew through the clouds, dragging them to pieces the orb flew faster and higher. Nimrod started to only begin re-loading its last log those last few hits somehow were meant to shut the system down. It was a good thing, because only a second before the orb hits do Nimrod's face patterns glow, to see and define an attack. The attack, it goes through Nimrod's chest before swirling around like a boomerang towards the ground again and to Canti's cannon. Nimrod's systems now slowly shut back down and its form falls quickly down to the earth.

Canti has started to shut down the powerful transformation, scooting and strutting it looked around wildly before sprinting behind a large mound of rubble where it now squats and turns to the blue coloration, soon afterwards Canti seems relieved and Naota appears behind the rubble with flies swirling around him. Sasami screams in mirth as she runs to her savior, hugging Naota she squeals and hollers but she soon pulls away with a deathly ill look, "Naota, you smell bad!"

"Yeah… well, you go through a robot's system and we'll see how much you smell like roses."

* * *

Holocaust has a giant smile on his face while Sunfire fell to one knee, "What? No more surprises? All that massive power and umph is all gone?" Holocaust raised his cannon arm to give a little grim gleam, "I guess I'll just absorb you into my own stream, adding all that power to what I already had." 

However, Nimrod crashes over Holocaust and Sunfire took it as a sign. It was like Mimi was still giving him her blessings, heavens prayers still called. He flew back before releasing a large blast of his power straight into the two. His flames kept searing heat boiling over the two bodies, but it was not until they caught more of the area that something happened. A large explosion caused several cave-ins, and Sunfire floated up higher as the ground sunk in. It seems the underground gas-lines were just so happen to be right here and Nimrod's massive crash caused one of these lines to rupture and cause the massive boom now crushing the two inside a surging inferno of burning gases, and atomic energy. Sunfire was not done he still collected a large ball into the air of fire making a huge brimstone and sulfur orb, napalm seemed to be the design of this long burning ball. He was making anything he could that would allow his power to cover the area for a long burning time. Sunfire flung the ball with all his might, but it was halted with a second ball of fire now smashing it back on him. Sunfire barely moved out of the way as storming from the flames glowing golden in rage, Holocaust stormed out on Sunfire, he also didn't look too happy…

Sunfire looked back on the monster with a slight snort, "Some dogs never know when to lie."

Holocaust made a massive swing, "I'll lie," he made another hellacious swing, "When you're," another swing missed, but Holocaust simply swung to stop part way and fire his gun to the gut of Sunfire, "Dead!" Holocaust's laughter now began to grow with his next stampede while Sunfire is rolling across the ground, quickly trying to go airborne as more flames licked at his heels, which were not his own.

* * *

While the two fire entities fought each other hero wondered if they should join in. Naota especially felt obligated, Mimi was his friend for a long time. When he came to a decision, he's halted by a feminine yelp, Ninamori to be exact. Naota, along with the others, turn to see Ninamori being held in mid air from an invisible assailant. "Damn it!" Naota cursed for this, "Who are you? What do you want?" 

There is a low chuckle, Ninamori shakes with the laughter in her back, and the chuckle motions to be a hissing sound now. "You forgot me already?"

"Oh, it's him." Yusuke gains a snarl as he remembered the assailant, "The lizard man."

"I am Reptile! Learn my name and fear it!" Reptile lost his cool, but regaining the composure he once had now he growls lowly, adding, "I have only one desire. I seek the princess or rather princess Sasami of Jurai."

The incident gave way to a little dispute of words. Conan was less entangled to the words he found something else more interesting. His detective skills were many, and inspecting the way Ninamori's shirt is ruffled along with occasional re-ruffled portions her assailant was taller than her. Conan began to contemplate the possibility; he then looked around to find a piece of rubble relatively the size of a small soccer ball. He smirked; a sly little look came over his face before kneeling down and turning a knob on his shoe. As the fight began to escalate on how they wouldn't surrender Sasami, a loud crack is heard. A piece of rubble flew into the air above Ninamori, and the rubble broke to bits! Ninamori fell to the ground as Reptile's form became apparent with two eyes wide and in tears. He fell to the ground, hard, and soon everyone wondered what happened except one young detective who whistles innocently. His mind now clicked, no more gifts from his friend the professor… this new world is just so wrong.

Kuwibara as the most adventurous walked up to the body. "Looks dead," he knelt down and poked the body several times, "I think that piece of rubble smashed the things brains to bits."

Kuwibara heard a chuckle from the shortest member, Hiei. "You know something about brains? I'd ask for a second opinion but the only one here qualified is myself."

Kuwibara had a look of frustration, that short troll always had some remark. When he looked back he's greeted with a surging pain in the base of his neck. Reptile woke up and lunged his head, and fangs, into Kuwibara! It was too sudden to see, Reptile now dragged Kuwibara by the throat as the others were helpless. Yusuke tried to make a clear shot, but it was useless even when Reptile kicked them both up into Tokyo Tower scaffolding. Kuwibara creates his sword part way up adding also a swing, but a clawed hand breeches into the fleshy appendage before snapping it at the elbow, followed by a horrid scream from Kuwibara. The scream is silenced as Reptile removed his fangs to unhinge his jaw and pull back his fanged mouth, a lightning fast strike forward mimics that of a cobra but with the chomping power of the crocodile. The scream was ended, and soon one of the figures fell from the scaffolding…

Yusuke didn't believe it; or rather he didn't want to believe it! His knees gave under his own weight and the sound of tears came next. The tears were his. Kuwibara, the rival, the idiot, but most importantly the friend was… gone. "It's not… possible, is it?"

Reptile pulls back his arms with force glowing within his palms. The power escalates as he did this. Before he could unleash the attack someone phases through the scaffolding to reveal the Martian Man hunter. He rose up two fists circled around the other, and swung down on the back of Reptile. Reptile is knocked off guard and off the tower. His smashing to the ground is not alone, as Rouge now trailed the ground in a flying assault; Reptile is struck hard from this attack before slamming up into another collection of debris. The final part is of Beast Boy. He storms through with a gallop, first he's a hoarse but soon he turns to a rhinoceros. The rhino strikes a powerful ram into Reptile before the ninja can recuperate, he did however stop his flailing with kicking off a wall to the ground.

The ninja was not safe, not yet. Yusuke lost his dearest friend and he now readied to loose all he had. A powerful energy gathered in his one hand before being released. This blast could have decimated the still confused Reptile, but a flame wall deters the blast long enough for it to dissipate. Yusuke rolls his eyes, "Give me a damn break."

The look of two dead eyes, they come to Yusuke almost acknowledging the idea of a breaking the neck. Those eyes belonged to Scorpion, and as Reptile realized his surroundings AND partner in crime were here, it was a savage grin those fangs gave. "Things have just come to my favor, they have."

A battle soon ensued; each side was fierce in competition. Even with numbers the heroes could not seem to attain a sure advantage. Scorpion offered skills like none other and the sheer brutality of hell itself, while Reptile with support gave hindering attacks and cloaked through his knowledgeable ways the duo made awesome headway. Yusuke tried a blast of spirit energy, but another wall of fire followed with harpoon snagged the detective to a wall. Reptile worked his way around, disappearing he attacked the man hunter then turned with savage claws along Beast Boy's back. Scorpion next was in a flurry of punches with Hiei, until Ryouko tried to assist tossing bolts that Scorpion dodged, allowing to hit Hiei all over. Reptile noticed her attack so he tossed orbs of seismic power sending her down to the earth, he then started to toss the orbs everywhere as a bombardment of waves. Scorpion came into the act too as he launched flames along the ground in every direction. The two were devastating; they were teammates and skilled ones at that. Alone they did not seem so destructive but together they could be a living hell.

* * *

One would think things could not become worse. One would be wrong. Holocaust has bout with Sunfire for a while now. He soon realized he needed a definite victory but it seemed impossible. Sunfire would not submit he was not going to give in. Holocaust realized that and so he started looking for a way to win, any way. It was the sight of one of the mutants his mind recognized a strategy. Flapping up his arms and toppling the latest charge of Sunfire, Holocaust quickly began a charge towards the many other fighters. His sights were set on the one mutant called Pyro, and he didn't stop as he trampled and plowed through Tenchi, Ayeka, and even the fox demon Kurama. He screamed a battle cry, pulling back his club arm he swings as he fires. The punch connects to the startled Pyro's back and while Pyro is shattered his screams are deafening, his body also crackles as flames roll out from Holocaust's arm and over the boy's form. In moments Pyro is gone, absorbed into Holocaust. 

It seems sort of simple, but simple can be very crafty. The power of Pyro is to manipulate flames, and Holocaust was a raging inferno. When the boy was absorbed Holocaust also made sure to absorb his powers. He can not absorb all mutant abilities but those similar to his own are susceptible. The new ability gave him a slight charge. "Yes, this will do just nicely!" he swung his club arm into the ground causing vents of heat to now begin jetting up.

Holocaust's golden glow intensified as lava began to siphon out of the dirt and form at his feet, raising him up to the air it collects more and more. The lava took shapes, four long legs covered in magma and flame now hardening to a blackened shell. There is a torso connected to the legs, with spines going across a flaming back, and the long whip like tail wags back and forth. The front is larger than the front as this quadruped was muscular in design, and three heads also had to fit on the things shoulders. It was a tri-headed dog monster of fire and brimstone the size of a large building just over 20 stories in length. This moment, the heroes seem pretty screwed.

The group had no real means of fighting something like THAT! Beast Boy even fell to his knees, he couldn't believe this! This was just, cheating! His eyes began to shake as he didn't know what to do or where to turn. However, his eyes close for a second and when he opened them up again he was not in Japan, he was gone, and he was in a strange cavernous tunnel with candles lining the walls. His view followed the tunnel along an excellently made floor of gold, pure gold! Beast Boy gave a little confused shift of his eyes left, right, left again, but when he looked up ahead his eyes grow huge and ears drop, "Whoa…"

* * *

This tunnel had some large blue and white shelled egg at its one end. That's when Beast Boy realized the tunnel was large enough for something to come out of that egg and probably go straight out of here. It may have been odd to see the egg but soon the sound of singing made him do a double take. Looking crazily, Beast Boy tried to find the women singing it sounds like maybe two of them. His full out wiggy-whacked mode kicks in as he looks down to find two women the size… of dolls! "Wha-wha-wha-WHAT?" 

The two women were no more than maybe 5" or 6" tall, in matching pink flower outfits the two women smile as they sung a strange song. Beast Boy sits down to look at them suspiciously, reaching out an index to the two girls. He poked one and she stopped singing, the other stops screaming "Hey! Did your mother teach you no manners?"

"You're real aren't you?" The two girls nod, "It isn't a dream, is it?" The girls shake their heads no. "Um, did you bring me here?"

"Yes we did. We are the Cosmos, and you are the green changeling called Beast Boy." He nods with a grin, "We are the sisters of the mother earth. She is in danger, and so now we wish to awaken our protector. However, she will not wake until the time is right."

"Protector," Beast Boy blinks before looking up at the egg, "Oh you mean that thing?" The two, The Cosmos, nod as he now awed the egg. "Wow it must be some big protector."

"It is Mothra. She has still yet to awaken from her egg and then to surpass the larvae stage of her existence. Until she can do this she will be in a slumbered state." Beast Boy looked at the girls kind of confused, but they giggle and say "She will be sleeping for a while."

"Oh, well why didn't you say so?" He gave the toothy grin, to that the girls nod and began to sing, "Um, what am I here for?"

"Mothra can not leave but she knows the world needs help. She wishes to send you her power for you can act in the power of the beasts. She also wants you to pass a message to the other protector, the one Fate chose, the message of what sins allowed darkness to come."

Beast Boy is confused but the girls began to sing. The beat of their song now soon echoed the halls, and something else follows them, the beating of a heart? Beast Boy could sense the life within the egg now sending him some kind of knowledge. The knowledge was of its own being, and something else he did not believe. He could not help but be made sick; falling to his side he felt ill, "We caused it? We allowed it all to be?" Beast Boy shook his head as the fuzziness was lessening, "I have to tell Raven what the truth is."

The egg stops beating and the Cosmos cease singing, to which they offer Beast Boy a means home again, "You must leave and save your other friends. With the power of Mothra you will only be able to use it once. This is her gift to you, be strong with it."

* * *

Back in Japan, the hound Cerberus used breath of flame to scorch the landscape. Sunfire showed his power over flame by forcing most to extinguish before becoming too great, while Rogue took a more direct approach using her super strength and flight to strike the three heads. That did little to nothing except irritate the monster, Gambit even tried to toss his cards yet this also was no more than an irritant. Holocaust is perched at the center head giving orders; soon his mind is set back to the princesses who now were together, "Of course! Cerberus," The hound stops to listen, "burn those two to a cinder!" 

The hound complies with flames licking its fangs, curling around its very lips. The flames now shoot forth but as they close on the now cringing sisters, a field of blue blocks the blast. The hound snarls, and Holocaust screams "This shit happens every time! Can't the bad guys just kill someone without a freaking last minute rescue?"

The rescuer is not any man, but the two girls turn to the sound of a screech and two large blue compounded insect like eyes now glowing. A large gale of wind shakes across the ground as some strange, humongous moth began to rise of the ground. Everyone is caught a little off guard, especially Holocaust who never saw a giant moth before like it just came out of the freaking blue… usually that's not something you can miss. The moth is now flying higher into the air, with fur over its body the moth had multiple colors, mostly a combination of greens and blacks. The wings were decorative in designs with the similar color schemes, it would seem the green moth was meant to be a different kind of coloration yet this was not a real moth, it was Beast Boy. He took the form of the creature in the egg. Beast Boy was borrowing the form of Mothra.

Mothra now swooped down brandishing a set of six small insect arms under its body, each with three clawed toes now slashing over the back of Cerberus before gripping tightly into the tail and dragging it along. Holocaust is flung off his mount before screaming in his fall "Kill it!"

Cerberus obeys; slamming all four paws to the ground the two are tugging one another. Cerberus had to swing up his tail and back down twice to flip off Mothra, letting the mother moth flap off dazed with twice the impact to the ground. Cerberus pull off its feet from the ground, then it rushed around to open fire of three separate heads. The fires swirl about trying to hit a target but not so lucky was the beast, Mothra was fully aware and began to elude the flame pillars with remarkable skill. In the air Mothra took to evasion, causing the fires to swish about along the sky in a mad attempt to strike the flyer. Mothra soon began to fly up into the sky where the clouds were, and this caused Cerberus to loose sight of his enemy. The sound of air rushing behind Cerberus alerted him, so he fell on his stomach allowing the moth to pass him, but he also charged his middle head to fire a direct hit over the back of the moth's form. Mothra smashed to the ground and peeled through several tall buildings, not to mention nearly killing the frazzled Holocaust who barely leapt from the speeding insect. Cerberus gave a howl of his one right head, and a snarl of the left head, the central one began to charge more flame as it now stalked toward the landing spot of Mothra. The sound a flapping and soon a gale flung up the dirt and dust. Cerberus fired his center head, but too late as Mothra began to fly into the sky again. This time Mothra began to create horrific gales pushing Cerberus farther back in each wave. The gales pushed Cerberus farther and farther, soon everyone noticed he was being pushed towards the waterway near by. Cerberus is at the edge of land when its flaming eyes pop wide, and soon it falls head over heals backwards with a loud yelping sound. The steam soon followed and continuous splattering came. After a while the sight of bubbling water subsided and the fire monster is gone. Beast Boy now lands and began to shrink to his human self, a big smile on his face.

That's when, he was gone. The group was just about to congratulate him but he just vanished! That was not the worst of it for this huge battle began to call the attention of many monsters, the Kagejin in the area now moved on their location. People who survived up till now were also running to the light thinking it was a rescue team which meant as the Kagejin closed in so did their victims. Tenchi had to be crazy; he opened out his sword creating the magical blade it held. When the monsters got closer he was going to fight them. There was a wave or a sea rather of the monsters. He could not seek victory, but he would find death. "We can't just die we have to fight." Tenchi then heard a familiar 'Merow' and he turned back to Sasami seeing the cat/rabbit looking from her back-pack, "Sasami! Ryo-ohki! She can transform into a spaceship!" 

"What?" Sasami then slapped herself, "Oh right I forgot! Sorry Tenchi!" She grabbed the creature asking "Will you help us Ryo-ohki?"

"She doesn't have a choice!" Ryouko grabbed the creature and tossed it into the air where it started to bulge out with sharp jewel like appendages, creating a red circular sphere in the center of these protrusions. The ship now made the "Merow!" sound, and Ryouko flew into the sky to get it working, "See what I mean! That's my ship, she'll do what I tell her!" she teleported inside, and inside the ship she found two large diamonds she now grabbed and moved around. The ship was now flying a little but Ryouko had more to do, "Ryo-ohki! Start to fire into those things! We need to slow them down!" The ship complies as its protrusions glow on their tips crackling golden bolts to the ground, with that noise the creature makes coming soon after. "Okay, now to teleport the others on the ship." Ryouko began to look on several strange red orbs showing the battle field, when she saw Washu with her strange gun firing on the demons she tapped the orb to bring her onboard. Washu looked over, snapping, "What the hell took you so long?"

"Hey, shut up!" Washu now noticed the others weren't on, "Where's Sasami and Ayeka! Get them on here now!"

"I said," Ryouko just found Sasami with some small potato looking thing on his arm screaming, "Shut-up!" the next transport brought both Sasami and the potato creature. Sasami pulled it off and Ryouko blasted the creature absent mindedly, "Or else you're next Washu!"

"Okay, okay. I'm just worried those things will go after them being the Juraian Princesses and all."

Ryouko darted her eyes over the red jewels to find her other companion Ayeka. She found several Kagejin being flung into the air like dolls so she zoomed to find both Rogue with her fists and Gambit swinging a metal staff now fighting large hordes of demons. She gave a grin and teleported them both on board, "They helped us out may as well save them too."

Rogue heard that and growled, "You think?"

"She didn't mean nothing by it my petite she's just," Gambit gave a look as Ryouko narrowed her eyes a little upset, "how we say, a bitch."

"I can throw you off this ship!" She now fumed while teleporting Hiei onboard, "What is going…"

"Shut the hell up! I need to concentrate!" Ryouko looked more; she found no one else did they all… "Tenchi, where are you?"

* * *

To answer he was on the ground slicing up some nasty monsters. With each one that attacked him his training answered, he swung sword at all and slit them down the middle, or pretty darn close! It was when he heard a scream he panicked, looking back he saw the girl Ninamori with a monster latched to her arm. It was her size, and it had also two little arms that swing about but not useful similar to a T-rex, yet the body is situated like a tadpole with two legs. It's fangs were gnawing on her arm and Tenchi ran to help her. He was blocked from the save when a fireball burned in front of him, and there stood Scorpion now brandishing a katana sword with scorpion symbols and decoration. Tenchi wasn't impressed, till the sword caught a flame like his but more blood red, "Oh boy, not good." 

As Tenchi stood firm Scorpion began to charge on him. A demon got in the ninja's way so he twirled and slashed it making the beast burn to ash and break in his wake, a really bad sign to Tenchi he REALLY wants to kill him. The young boy readied his blade to clang off Scorpion, however, he didn't have to when a third energy sword blocked Scorpion several steps away. Scorpion pulled back his strike to see Yusuke mimicking the late Kuwibara's spirit sword technique, but his was a blue aura while Kuwibara's would be more red. Yusuke had a look not much his own, it was a cold stare while his eyes, they almost glow golden, "Where is it?" Scorpion gave no change, he stood with sword in hand and sight of rage, "Where is the monster that killed my friend Kuwibara!"

Scorpion didn't answer that, he did answer another question. The question asked when Yusuke got in his way, he answered with a little cock of his head and taunting gesture of the sword. "You want to fight? Okay, let's fight!" Yusuke ran forward to clash the flame of his soul with the fires of Scorpion's hell, as they began Tenchi got bombarded by several demons; easily he slashed them to bits. He later saw Yusuke and Scorpion wavering through the mass of horror and death, so he decided two were better than one, "Hey! Wait for me!"

Scorpion noticed the change when two strikes came at him; he barely dodged the first few as his other hand began to burn. The two young men swung from above with a judgmental blow, yet their swords were now blocked with dual blades, and a dual set of matching hell swords. Scorpion pushed off the two swords, a mocking laugh echoes a moment after, then he began to slash and gash causing the two boys to dodge, block, or down right jump from horrid strikes. The two boys with a sword each had difficulty with the one skilled ninja, and his dual hellfire blades. The only thing that made this seem more even is the interception of two diagonal strikes intersecting the two boys, blocked by a large whip of thorns. Kurama was several feet away but his whip could grow to whatever length he wanted. A smile on his face he pulled back his whip and made a dash to his two friends. Scorpion gave a glare at them before running towards Tokyo tower; he leapt into the rafters and began to ascend them.

"What's he doing?" Tenchi was confused yet soon he's struck with realization, "We made him run away?"

"It's called a tactical retreat," Kurama grabbed Tenchi and flung his arms around his neck, "or a tactical redirection either way he's not done yet! We have to follow him!"

Scorpion swung his two swords together at the base; they merged to one staff with at each end a set of sharp fire katana blades. Then he positioned the staff in between two steel poles of the scaffolding, and leaning off his staff he hangs with two feet propping from more scaffolding, allowing in his free arm a large collection of flame over his arm. The three heroes stop to see it, and each has a special way of mouthing 'Oh… crap…' Scorpion began to swing his arm with no direction or cause, such in the area of the three. Each swing made a flaming orb come down on the heroes. Soon the fires would hit the ground; they shatter into more fires that catch the area around them. Cinders would shower and scorch the ground but the three got through quickly. Scorpion noticed they now leapt into the scaffolding so he relieves his arm of fire before quickly kicking out with his staff, going up no more but lunging into the deeper center of that level of scaffolding. The three finally get up to the level Scorpion was now hiding, Tenchi gets off of Kurama's back now that they weren't into speed he was good enough with his own balance. The three move along the iron and steel bars looking for the gold ninja. He's not there, but eventually he leaps down at the end of the scaffolding, screaming "**SUCKERS!"**

The next thing they know is each one ducks, and the lance is swishing over them tearing up the scaffolding in its wake. They barely escaped the weapon, it returns to Scorpion and he now charged his hands with flame to blast not them, but the areas above these separations. They realize he's trying to make the upper half fall into the lower half, with them inside! As the upper half is broke free, Kurama sped off to the other end. He now swung his whip while he fell snagging the very top of the tower, but he also began to glow a bright white turning from man to demon, a large spiritual fox demon to be precise. The tugging whip made the tower not fall directly down, but more angled it fell towards Kurama and lopsided it made a ramp from the others, to the ground. Scorpion looked at the saved two, and gave a little snort. He didn't expect this damn it! Either way it only added to the next mess, Scorpion charged the other two on the scaffolding and Tenchi screams "We're in trouble now!"

"You could say that a-." Actually, he couldn't because Scorpion began striking them both. With swings and spins, the dual sword staff made as much trouble as two swords. Kurama tried to get back as quick as he could but it's not easy, he turned to human again and it's a large tower to climb up even using the new "ramp". Scorpion swung his staff weapon, and it nearly dislocated Yusuke's arm from the blow. Yusuke tripped also in that blow leaving him in a really poor spot, one Scorpion tried to take advantage of. However, Tenchi is skilled in swordplay so he dropped in front to block. He pushed off the strike, and in another fast slash he broke the staff into two parts. Scorpion swung his one sword, then the next horizontally. Tenchi did a little duck, and then a slight swerve behind Scorpion to launch another slash. This one hit Scorpion's back, and a scream along with massive swing came to Tenchi. Tenchi blocked the sword and pushed off, also following his push a strike on the sword flung it to the ground. That's where the good luck ends; Scorpion roared up in anger and created a ball of fire with his now freed arm. The ball hit Tenchi off in some distance making him almost fall into the depths of the scaffolding down, but he is able to latch on by one hand to the steel braces and hang. He hears a thud above, and there is Scorpion with his hands raised and sword pointed down. Tenchi couldn't defend here without falling, he couldn't do anything. He didn't have to as a long whip circled Scorpion's hands, it now held the strike at bay courtesy of Kurama.

Scorpion looked at the whip, to Kurama, and in one sneer he touched the flames to the whip causing them to whirl off on the fox demon. Kurama released his weapon moments before the flames came on him, he's blinded a moment from the ferocity of heat, and that moment was enough for a drastic change. Kurama looked up to see Scorpion over head, hands both up but freed of the binding, readied with a falling slash of his sword. The strike is made, Kurama stood still a moment as the blade graced his form. As Kurama took an idle step back a line of fire separates down his middle front, and he whimpers, "Mother…"

Yusuke now watched as fires soon engulfed his friend. The red skeleton in the flames stood there a moment, but soon it fell on its knees and is booted off by Scorpion who turns away from his kill. The fire and bones fell down the tower turning to ash in mid air, and Yusuke is left with more pain, more sorrow. That was when Scorpion realized the sudden change in Yusuke, his body now glows with a light blue aura. When Yusuke is angry, he can get stronger but as his friends are hurt he becomes even stronger. Scorpion tried to block the incoming punch with the fire sword, but Yusuke let go the fist and it _shattered_ the very sword! Scorpion is shocked, and soon the fists striking his body so fast they can not be seen were just as shocking. Scorpion tried to swing a punch but Yusuke was gone, he finds Yusuke behind him with two hands glowing, and a blast grows in the center of each hand. Scorpion is able to say one thing…

"**Uh-oh!"** and then the blast riddles through the scaffolding, taking with it Scorpion who is knocked through beams and then the dirt deep and hard. The strike lays them to the ground, and Yusuke let himself fall to his bottom with a smirk, "Got him… good… for you guys…" He then noticed the golden ninja is alive, but unconscious. He would have attacked again but there came Reptile, a smoke bomb in his hand he swung it down to disappear, with Scorpion. Yusuke gave a glare, a slight whimper, and then he was disappearing. Tenchi looked up to Reioh-oki and smiled as he too disappeared.

Ryouko wasn't done yet, she had four more to find, "Okay, where's the kid and his friend? Then the one with the robot?"

Tenchi looked on the orbs, "I don't know there's so many of these things now."

"Hold your horses!" Rogue fluttered in snapping, "We have to find Sunfire. He's important!"

"Huh?" Ryouko looked to see only a mess of demons and scared people being slaughtered "You see him fine! I can't waste too much more time. The shields are being drained by those things," She points to large insects with wings slamming into an invisible shield, "which will leave us defenseless if we're not careful!"

* * *

Ninamori pulled free of the jaw holding her arm, looking now to the tadpole looking demon now crushed under the Tokyo tower. She couldn't believe it fell on it and not her. Of course she also couldn't believe everything that has been happening. When one new creature caught the scent of blood Ninamori grimaced, it was a large black praying mantis with long sickle hands, but its head is the shape of a dark gray skull with mandibles bending round sharp fanged teeth. She screamed, and it soon took chase. As she tripped and it got over her, a bat flew up and hit the creature in the head making it stop, and sort of tilt over. Ninamori was crying but she looked over to the one who threw the bat, Naota. "Naota!" She ran to him, he grabbed her and whispered how he was sorry he lost her in the mess of monsters. She didn't care now that he was here. She looked back as the skull-mantis was starting to stir, but it turned its attention to a woman with three crazy starfish creatures laughing in a high pitched manner, chasing her they are joined by the skull-mantis. Naota now looked to find Conan he was looking madly and nearly being stomped. He's the smallest person as still a young child, so he's overlooked by the demons. Naota grabs Conan, and asks "Where's that girl you were with?" 

"I don't…" They hear a scream, and look towards it they found Rachael fending off some random monsters. Conan found some rubble, and messing with the dial on his shoes he kicked off the debris as projectiles knocking the monsters all around, or leaving them dazed so Rachael could release some well timed kung-fu. It was then she disappeared, and Conan looked confused as soon Naota and Ninamori were also gone. He looked up to see the ship flying past him, and he screams "You idiots! You forgot me!" his eyes now go wide as something breathes on his neck. He looks back and there is a strange looking demon no taller than himself with four little legs bent like an insect, but its body is a round ball with a little lid over two eyes, it also had four little arms like a man with little knives, "Kee-hee-hee!" it screeched, and Conan wailed as he ran like mad. The creature's legs seem to flash about and it charges after, Conan screams and runs but the monster follows. The monster stops when a fire lands in front of it, and looking up the little monster squeaks that strange, "Kee-hee-hee!" before running backwards. Conan turned to Sunfire and smiled, "Thanks, you saved me."

Sunfire reached down with his arm bare from flames, latching Conan's arm he now flew up towards the ship. That was when a fireball passed him. A fierce rage came over Sunfire's face as he looked down, and Holocaust only points his arm out with a fierce smile, "It's not over flame-boy. I'll swallow your soul yet!"

"Perhaps," Sunfire is slowly fading with Conan sticking out his tongue and pulling down his eye-lid, "However, that time will be later. I still have much to do with my life."

When the two are gone, the ship 'Merows' and flies into the atmosphere towards outer space. Holocaust looked about, seeing people being slaughtered was the extent of what he accomplished. Reptile even popped up with the injured Scorpion, "The jurai princesses live, our hides, Akaige will have."

"Ah, he'll get over it. Besides," Holocaust started to fire on some civilians now getting the courage to fight, "what's the worst he can do?"

A lick of his lips and Reptile screams in a charge towards his next prey. Failure or not, sometimes you're only a failure if you let it get to you. The more psychotic you are, the more you find in life's little joys, like a massacre waiting to happen.

* * *

The ship is in space, Ryouko asks "Well, what now?" 

Rogue offered her hand to Sunfire, "My name's Rouge," She looked quick to make sure her glove was on, and putting it on she offered again, "I was sent to see if you'll join up with the X-men."

"X-men?" Sunfire looked to his hand seeing it a flame; he soon extinguished it and offered his hand, "I will do all that I can. Though I doubt you would want my services."

"Are you pulling my leg? Sug, that little mess down there you did just dandy!" Rogue nods to the others, Gambit shrugged, but then it hits and he goes to offer a word yet J'onn spoke in his place, "You were an excellent help, and you saved the young one here." Gambit let his finger sort of sway knowing he got screwed out of a chance to prove worth Rogue's time… damn….

Ryouko looked back around, "I asked what now?"

Sunfire looked over with a shrug, "I don't know. Do you know Rogue?"

Rogue looked up to the others of her team, "Well, we're on a mission to get you to join the X-men, but I also heard about them girls from Jurai." Sasami and Ayeka nod, "So I guess we could go to the Watchtower and see what we can find out with helping them get back home."

Ayeka looked to Sasami, "It's better we separate then." Sasami now jumped, "I know it may seem odd my sister, but we are the hopes of our people and theirs. If we fail to gain support in this matter than many lives will be lost. If we separate ourselves that is double the chances one of us will make it to planet Jurai."

"Ayeka…" Sasami began to cry and Ayeka hugged her tightly, it was the most logical choice. Ryouko did what she figured was best, "Okay, I'll go to the tower but don't think that's it." She gave a grin to Tenchi, "I want to make the gold freak pay for trying to hurt _my_ Tenchi."

"Your Tenchi!" Ayeka now glares death to the girl, "He's my lord Tenchi!"

This dispute began to grow, and sure enough Tenchi only falters to his knees as it happens. He now noticed Hiei and Yusuke, they both looked terrible. '_They lost two friends today, not too much time between each. That, and Yusuke's girlfriend was killed the poor guys. Maybe I could,"_ he's now being tugged by the arms, '_Ah! Make it stop!'_

Yusuke looked at his hands while he sat on the cold floor. He was tired and looking at those hands he remembered they are the hands of the man that let people he loved, die. That was when Hiei looked down, knowing he was blaming himself Hiei offered, "It's not your fault Yusuke. We knew what could happen when we agreed to help." Yusuke didn't change, "We made the choice so deal with it." Hiei now walked off angry, he couldn't do the whole blame game or stuff of the sort he's a warrior he's going to settle it on the battle field not here. Then came the idea they could say it was a victory, the princesses and Sunfire are here, but in some ways none can say it's a true victory for losses were had… even Gambit now thought of Pyro, and the monster Holocaust who took him. With that he brandished the ace of spades and charges it for a slight sparkle, "Mon ami, I'll see to your rights as my compadre, and my team mate."

Rogue glimpsed his actions and she walked over, asking, "Will you miss him a lot?"

"No, he was an ass." She now gave a look and he smirked, "Don't get me wrong, an ass or not he was my friend. So I will miss him, but I'll also see him again, someday."

Rogue now nods, and she felt J'onn behind her, "Yeah?"

"I wanted to inform you we're going to be at the Watchtower soon. I believe you are still the leader, therefore you should be the one to open communications."

"Alright," She walked over as Ryouko began to hail the Watchtower, some kid with no hair and a green suit asked "What's your problem, toe licker?"

"Wh- Hey! You little snot nosed," she's soon greeted by Green Lantern who pushed Gizmo out of the way, in the back Billy Numerous is doing some repairs on the walls while he turns and laughs, soon following a beam that knocks him off a ladder. "Did you get the mission done? Where's J'onn?"

"I am here. She also did achieve our mission." To that the princesses did a bow, and Sunfire bowed his head slightly.

"Um…" Green Lantern whispers trying to be nice, "You know he's on fire, right?"

"I am aware of my… condition, you know?" Sunfire gets a chuckle from the others as Lantern clears his throat. Gizmo has been tied up and three Billy boys were now swinging a hammer with a blindfold, like he's a piñata. "Um, okay. Well that's a great job." He frowns, "Sabretooth and his team got back thanks to Blink, she seemed to sense he was hurt, or something. They weren't so lucky, Starfire is also missing. She seemed to just have disappeared."

"Disappeared?" Rogue looked at J'onn frightful, "Beast Boy he saved us but soon poof, he was gone. Anyone else missing?"

"Actually, Jinx came back with three teenage girls, but Robin also disappeared. I suppose it's the Teen Titans, but who, or what is causing it; also, why the Teen Titans?"

* * *

New York, lost, desolate, and plagued with destruction. It is also the last place so many people rallied to save what they loved. Mr. Fantastic was now kissing his wife all over since she was safe, which the Invisible Woman had to go invisible to get him to stop, "I'm fine! Now back off Reed!" 

"I'm sorry; it's just one second you seemed you were going to die, then the next you're here! Safe and sound thank to those people." Reed now turned his head to the group of people from that van. They were all gathered in the main room where people were getting around to talking about ideas. This room is shut-off from the main group of civilians; Reed walked in and asked "Who are all of you, anyhow?"

That's when the many questions came up. There were tons of them, so many that only through the screams of Spider-Man could they quiet down, "Well, that's better. Look we're thankful you helped, all of you, but we need to know just who you are. Some of you showed a little bit ago you're not normal people, so just who are you?"

That's when a big man in an orange jumpsuit popped up, he had slicked black hair with a little white, "Well, my name's Jack Fenton, I'm sure you heard of the fearless ghost fighter!" He made a little pose, but no one did anything, "Right… guess that's a no…" he wrapped an arm around a red head with a light blue jumpsuit on, goggles hang around her neck, "Oh, this here is my wife Maddie, she's the best ghost hunter too!"

"Wait…" Magneto looked at the two, pointing between them, "One of you has to be better than the other so who is it?"

"Um, we're a team so it doesn't matter. We're just both the best!"

Then some strange green creature floated above them, to which Jack screamed "GHOST!" and began blasting a gun with ooze, until the ghost squealed and flew through the floor, Maddie now stayed Jack's gun saying, "Honey, relax, that was just Slimer, remember? We met him earlier!"

"Huh… oh, yeah… the pet ghost." Magneto gave a glare as he's covered in goo, "That answers my question… in the worst possible way."

As Slimer began to reemerge that's when Jack aimed to fire, but now a man with white hair and red glasses in a blue jumpsuit smacked Jack's hands with a wooden cane, "Jack! I told you Slimer's my friend! Stop it already!"

Slimer flew behind the man in blue and began yammering in an unknown mess of spits and murmurs, "Oops, sorry Egon I just get all worked up with ghosts… I'm a ghost hunter you know."

"I know Jack," Egon rolled his eyes, "I know because that was why I called you to come to the old 'Ghost Busters' HQ, the firehouse." Egon turned to Reed and began to explain what happened.

It was relatively a normal scene of Egon preparing for the event, thanks to his assistant Janine a red haired lady with green framed glasses, in a striped top and green skirt. "So, how's this?" Egon looked up and he blushed, that's not what she's asking about, so looking up more he smiles, "Perfect Jeanine! It's really going to catch their attention." It was a banner saying 'Thanks for coming, Fenton Family!'

Janine slowly came down the ladder looking back, seeing his eyes wander she smiled "What you been looking at, Egon?"

"Wh-what," he coughed uneasily, "what are you implying?"

"Aw, nothing I know you'd never think about something like that." She stepped off the last step and gave a wink, he just blushed more knowing she had a thing for him but… he's often too shy. "So did those students of yours decide to come?"

"No, they were busy with teenage things. I really wish they did it might be good for them to know their not the only ones out there fighting ghosts."

Janine sighed as she tapped his shoulder lightly in a fist, "Pucker up, some times they need to be kids too. If they weren't, who knows what they would do with their lives."

Egon nods before a noise is heard, they turn to see a large van is rolling through the open firehouse door, and a blue man is floating in the air dodging beams and blasters, one even burns the banner. The man screams, "You shall never stop, _The Box Ghost!_" before he disappears through a wall. Now the door of the van opens wide, Jack Fenton screams, "One of these days Box Ghost, one of these days!"

Jack shook his fist where the ghost escaped, and he then turned to the puzzled Egon and Janine, "Oh, hi! I'm Jack Fenton," Maddie Fenton now was screaming out "One of these days, Box Ghost!" So Jack motions to her finishing, "and this is my wife Maddie! We're the Fentons!"

Egon kind of quirked a brow to the banner, then to Jack, "Uh, welcome. So I was wondering if you brought any new ghost hunting tech with you, we could share notes and…"

"Oh boy did I bring something!" Jack offered out some sort of squiggly green blob on a platter, Egon asked "Is it some sort of ectoplasmic mixture?"

"Nope, it's my wife's jello-mold! It's shaped like a ghost, and it has," he nudges Egon in the ribs, "little pieces of fruit. Can you believe the things these women make in the kitchen, oh man that's good eating!"

"Um, yes well," he took the plat to pass it over with Janine, she now talked with Maddie as the two men were going towards the desk. That was when someone else, a red headed teenage girl with a black sweater and green jeans stormed out, "I just wish this day would end!"

"Aw, come on Jazz! It's not that bad." Jazz Fenton gave a glare to her younger brother the black haired, blue eyed teen that now gave a weak smile, "Well, okay, we took a family trip to a place where they hunt ghosts… and you hate ghost trips with mom and dad, but at least we're out of school for a week!"

"Agh!" She now slapped her face, she liked school… sort of, "I hate this, my parents and brother are all embarrassing me!"

Danny gave a little side look while she went on her tangent, "Man, she's got to get a life." Now someone else came out of the van, another girl with black hair and clothes, netting on her legs and arms she obviously was a Goth, "Danny, she has a life your family just kind of, makes it suck."

"Oh, good one." Now a young teen came out with a pocket computer which he was checking on some music downloads with, "She's right Danny. I appreciate the fact they got us out of school, but could they try not to go crazy over ghosts for like, ten minutes?"

"I know it's a little embarrassing but…" Danny's lips now let a slight mist form out from them, "Uh-oh, ghost!" He looked around and saw some green ghost starting to eat the jell-o; Jack saw it and screamed, "Ghost!"

Egon turned as Jack pulled a chair overhead and swung, the slime ghost screamed as he was being chased, "Stop! That's Slimer!"

"Rargh, Ghost!" Jack didn't hear over his own chase, soon Slimer phases through a wall and Jack smacks hard into it, next Maddie pulls him up, "Jack, Egon has a pet ghost called Slimer, remember?"

Jack was dazed, Slimer returned and Jack saw him, to scream, "Ghost!"

It went again, this time Slimer flew through the table where Jack slammed through it with his chair, Slimer screams but is saved when Egon smacks Jack with his cane, "Ow, that thing hurts!"

"Stop scaring Slimer! He's a pet, well, and a friend too."

"…." Jack gave a little cock of his brow, "Really?" Egon nods, and Jack shrugs, "Ah, guess I can let it slide this once." He offers a hand and Slimer speaks in happy gibberish as he shakes Jack's hand, leaving a slimed hand. Jack gave a glare to the hand, then Slimer, "Urge to hunt… rising…"

Danny got a chuckle out of his dad's antics; soon he looked over to his two friends, "Tucker, Sam you want to check out the city?"

Tucker, the boy into technology kind of smiles "I'd love to man! This baby has a GPS, we couldn't get lost if we tried!"

"Could you try it out for me?" Sam had a little smirk as Tucker gave a not so amused glare, "Hey, I couldn't help it that's Goth nature man."

"Har, har, very funny."

Danny gave a little smile but now he noticed something else. Another ghost was floating through the firehouse, and when it noticed he saw it the thing turned invisible, but he could see it because of a certain secret. "Sam, Tucker you stay here I have some work to do." To that the two friends gave a nod and Danny ran behind the van, whispering, "Going ghost."

Soon a ring of energy rolled from Danny's waist up and down, changing his clothing to a black outfit with a DP on the chest, and white gloves along with boots and belt. His hair became snow white, and eyes glow green. He now flew out the wall the ghost did, and found it flying on the next building's roof. Danny flew onto the roof, and screamed "Okay, turn around and tell me what you're doing here!"

The ghost turned, and it screamed "AH! A Ghost!"

* * *

At this point, Magneto asks "What is a ghost doing, being afraid of another ghost?" 

Jack also asked, "Also, how did that Ghost Kid and you switch places? Some sort of matter-switching thing?"

Maddie looked up and gave a slight grin, "Um, Danny and the ghost kid are the same Jack."

"What? That's just silly… now, ghost gerbils switching places with Danny and the phantom kid that makes perfect sense to me!"

Magneto snorts, "I bet it would."

"Hm?" Magneto blinked realizing it slipped, "Er, I mean, sure now let's get on with the story. What exactly happened boy?"

Danny looked up, "Well, Egon mentioned the meeting and all, I saw a ghost. The thing is I'm not really the best one to explain the ghost, how about he explains it?" Danny now turned to a 10 year old boy in a white T and with baggy pants, his eyes blink kind of surprised with their brownish gold color, he also had a strange watch on his wrist, I mean almost other worldly. "Me? I guess… well, the name's…"

* * *

"Ben! Stop picking your nose, it's so gross." A girl snapped she's his age and with green eyes, and short orange hair with a hair-snip at the part. She's looking in a scolding manner to Ben who now gave a glare as he hid his finger under the table. "What are you…?" She is wide eyed as the touch on her knee connects, "Ew! You just rubbed it on my leg!" 

This girl is Gwen, she's his cousin. She wore a blue and white long sleeve shirt, with a blue kitten on the chest where it was actually white. She also wore khaki pants she now wiped of a snot stain thanks to Ben, "You're so immature!"

"I'm a kid! It's what we do, duh!" he gave a little snicker, "Well, the normal ones."

Gwen gave a glare of hate, and now a man's voice asks "Kids, what's going on back there?"

"Nothing Grandpa!" they answer in unison, a bad sign to Max, aka Grandpa. Max is a good hearted figure for the children, and offered the trip to their parents. During the trip, Ben found the watch called the Ominmatrix, and from there it only began to go weirder and weirder. Grandpa is a big man, build not chubby just big, and he wore a comfortable clothing of Hawaiian shirt with baggy pants. "Don't be rough housing kids, I'm driving and I need all the concentration I can get." Then he had a brainstorm, "Hey, Gwen, didn't you get a present from your parents?" She froze, and Grandpa also stopped the car. He frowned, and Gwen sat into a chair as Ben was blank, he didn't know what was wrong, "Guys? Something the matter?"

"No… nothing's the matter…" Gwen had a little tear on her cheek, "I'm just… going to get a little fresh air, okay?"

"Yeah okay Gwen." Grandpa opened the door, and as she stepped out he put a hand on her shoulder, "I didn't mean to…"

"It's okay. I'm glad we stopped to see them, it was nice." She now walked out to look about, seeing a hotdog vendor she took no time to go ahead and just see what he had, maybe he carried Tofu dogs… or maybe, he didn't…

"What's up with her?"

"Ben, sit down." Grandpa pat the chair next to him and Ben complied. Soon Grandpa sighed, looking at the mirror to see Gwen talking to the vendor, "You remember when we stopped to see Gwen's parents? They were arguing that day, so much you had to leave and go get in trouble… as Four-arms."

"Whoa, that was a huge bug monster, I had to do something!"

"I know Ben, and while you were gone they screamed something that Gwen heard and she, well, I think she wasn't supposed to."

Ben looked at Grandpa confused, noticing he's very upset. "What was it?"

"They let her on the vacation because; she's well… not supposed to know about their divorce."

"Divorce? You mean their getting divorced?"

"Yes Ben, their having a divorce. That wasn't the only thing it seems well, even I didn't know this but, Gwen may not be your cousin."

Ben just lost it; jumping out of the seat he screams "WHAT?"

"She's actually adopted, and worse yet her mother is going to take custody which means your uncle won't be her father, she won't be your cousin. This all means she's not family, to a certain degree. However, she's still your cousin in the sense she's been there for you, and we've all had some hard fought adventures, so try not to do something stupid."

"Okay grandpa." Ben nods, but he's more blown away she's not his cousin anymore. Weird, that was only the beginning of it. She now returned with a pretzel, "So, you're adopted and stuff? Is that it?"

Gwen gave a glare of shock he knew, until Grandpa slammed his head into the steering wheel, "Ben…"

"Grandpa? You told him?" She sighed, and Ben shrugged, "I guess it was going to happen sooner or later. What a pain in the butt."

"I know, so now she's here on a family trip when she's not even family anymore?"

That however, got less appreciation. Gwen dropped her pretzel and kind of started to sniffle, and Grandpa gave a very, VERY stern glare. Ben looked at his feet, "Uh, I guess that was a stupid thing?"

The next thing he knew he was outside the RV, and she was crying in the back. He frowned, but listened in as Grandpa tried to comfort her. '_I didn't mean anything; she's just a pain in my butt. I figured this was sort of payback, though, it was a bit on the meaner side seeing as we were through a lot… aw crap,'_ he frowned big time, '_I did act stupid even for me.'_

"Gwen, it is okay he's just… being stupid, even for him!" '_I knew it…'_

"No," Gwen wiped her tears as Grandpa sat on the bed, looking up she gave a smile "he's right I'm not family. That's what makes it harder." She sat up and put a pillow into her chest, hugging it she let her face sink in it to remove some tears, then looked up saying "I can't tell how to act anymore. Before, I was just another part of the family. More of this, a little of that and it never mattered as I'm family. Now who am I? I'm just some girl that was family, but turned out to be somebody else. Gwen is just somebody that doesn't even belong."

"Oh come off it," Grandpa shook his head with a smile, "you're my niece, and Ben's cousin. If you don't like that, you're still the smartest one here! Heck, Ben could never match you there kid."

They laughed, and Ben gave a death glare to the van, '_What's with all the stupid jokes? Man!'_

"Thanks Grandpa but there's another problem. I really just don't know how to act around Ben anymore. Before, when we were cousins, I figured us fighting was okay. Now, what do I do?"

"If you didn't fight with him I'd have nothing fun to watch while we're on the road." She now giggled, and Grandpa stood up to give her a little ruffle of the hair, "See kid, you're family. When Ben gets back we'll make sure he understands too."

"Be sure to use small words, Grandpa." The two laugh, and that tore it Ben moved the dial of his watch snarling, "Screw them both!" he swung it down with his other hand turning to an ethereal creature, with no legs just mist for a lower body, and one large eye in the center of the spectral form, then two long arms that creep about as he now flew off.

He felt bad for what he said, and she didn't deserve to be treated like that, not really. Ben now floated along idly thinking of how he treated her. Soon, he realized he didn't even turn invisible, and that was when he meets with Danny…

* * *

"Oh, I get it!" Magneto swung his hand on his face, "Now, where were we before Danny?" 

"Right, well let's see…

* * *

Ben 10 in his ghost form screams, "AH! A Ghost!" 

"What? You're a ghost too… aren't you?"

Just then, Ben's chest begins glowing and he turns to a boy. Ben looked about, taking a little stance he warns, "I know, um, how to run away… and some little karate!"

"Hey, relax there kid!" Danny powered down and Ben blinked, "I won't tell if you don't tell, deal?"

"Whoa, another superhero kid? That's pretty cool. So what's your name, I'm Ben, and as a hero I go by Ben 10!"

"Oh, well my name's Danny Fenton, but my hero name is Danny Phantom."

Ben now raised a brow with a sly grin, "Not very creative are you?"

"Oh, and like Ben 10 is the biggest innovation in codenames?" the two give a little chuckle, Ben soon agrees to go with Danny to the firehouse, he didn't want to go back just yet. After the introductions things go normal. Jack and Egon left to return soon after, Egon explains he wanted to send the spirits in their containment unit back to the ghost world, and Jack opened the portal putting them back. Even Jack knew his job when it came to ghosts, so after that it became a sort of party. Jack still tried to hunt Slimer, but it would occur, after either Maddie or Egon got his attention, that Slimer was in fact not a bad ghost, "Yeah… but he is a ghost right?" Jack had a smile but the two gave no change, he frowns before tossing his gun, "Aw…"

Just then the room began to glow with lights and whistles, that wasn't part of the party. Egon knew what it meant and so did Janine, she already flipped a switch behind a picture and some purple field rolled around the firehouse. It was not something the others expected, especially as some kind of little earthquakes made cars go off and the ground shake. When the quakes end, many just look around stunned and in slight awe. "Okay, I may just be 10 and the youngest, but that's not supposed to happen is it?"

"No," Egon looked on his computer at the small desk, "what happened was a large collection of paranormal energy soon followed by a release on the surface. I believe something has happened and it was not supposed to happen."

Now Janine screams, "Egon! There's some… things outside!"

"Things?" Danny now looked out a window to watch black and purple mist rolling off what seemed to be men, but more and more showed up outside in craters not looking like men at all. "Oh, I see what she means by things."

Egon looked out and saw many more creatures begin to move and stir, the mist dissipates to reveal grotesque abominations, "Oh my… Janine, we're going to need some proton packs!"

Jack screams to Egon, "Who cares about that how do we get out of here? The children are in danger!"

"Where would we even go?" Janine asked with more worry, now she carried some packs out and placed them on the ground. Ben looked up, and he raised a brow, "Wait a second… what if…" He smiled wide, "Hey! I know, the Baxter Building!" The group looked to the boy and he slammed a fist in emphasis of his thought, "My Grandpa Max read in the Daily Bugle or whatever, you know the paper that's always taking pictures of Spider-man!" They nod, "Well, something bad is supposed to happen and if it did, which I think it did, everyone is supposed to go to the Baxter Building, the one with the giant 4! We should all go there!" He also gave a worried look outside, "I know they would head there maybe I'll find them okay."

It was the best idea so Egon looked at the Ecto-1, their car. He frowned it was no kind of tank… but the other one the Fenton family drove was a ghost-busting tank. With armored plating, an array of weapons, Egon gave a little grin before asking "Who has the keys?"

"You want to drive that baby; oh no that's the Fenton-mobile! Only I drive it!" Egon shrugs before asking, "Will you drive us out of here?"

"Well… yeah, of course! Hop on in boys!" The group piled in but Jack points to Slimer, "If you slime the seats up, I swear I'll hunt you like a… like a… dog ghost! Yeah," He nods with a smile, "That's a good one. I should write that down or something!"

Inside, Jack turns the key and it revs up, but stops. Jack smiles back to everyone, "You know it's the oddest thing but I think I forgot to fill the gas tank this morning?"

After filling the tank, they try again, and this time it worked! The doors to the firehouse open and the car peels off knocking stalled demons out of the way, along with blasting any that seemed a threat. Their peeling rubber alright, but when some large beetle man creature stopped them it seemed a little bit, well, not so good. The beetle hissed and soon began to chase the van as it barreled off like it was some other kind of van, "Whoa, he really hates this van!"

Egon saw an entrance to the subway and he snaps "Take the subway! We can leave off into he sewers there!"

"The sewers? Why do we want to go in the sewers?"

"We need to regroup for a second, try to think of the best way to the Baxter Building. Maybe we can use a subway map." They are already in the subway, and Tucker pops in with his computer, "I have a GPS if you want."

"Oh…" Egon looks over and takes it, "Well, since we're here I guess the sewers are not a bad idea." Then the sound of the large beetle demon soon got Egon to scream, "The sewers!"

When they were inside the sewers, the creature did not follow. Perhaps the smells caused its senses to loose effect, or something of a similar situation. Either way it kept it back like Egon expected and so this gave them the time to start looking into alternatives, and ways to get inside or at the Baxter Building. So eventually, while they were waiting in these sewers something is bound to happen. What? Well, the something is the appearance of…

* * *

"Like us dudes!" This next figure was man in shape, but reptilian in features. His turtle shell is of his own body, while with his face the mask with orange color circled his eyes. He also had a belt, with nun-chukka, and an M symbol as the buckle. With him were two more reptilian creatures, one is wearing a purple variation of the mask with a D buckle; the other wore red with an R buckle. The D turtle has a long staff type weapon, while the R turtle had two weapons, three edged pronged hand daggers of the sort. This group of reptiles also had another; he however was not with them. He was in all black, aside from the metallic armor riddled with sharp edges and blades. His eyes look off to the mutants, and those eyes of red almost demonic hate seem to glow in the rage building in his blood. He wore over his head a mempo mask along the jaw and helmet with three long blades retracting back, his name is soon revealed as "Yo, Shred-head, why don't you chill out we made it to safety!" 

"Why you insolent!" This man of sharp edges stomped his foot hard to the ground, "I swear to you freaks, not today, but some day." He walked up to he mutant with the M, "I shall dine on turtle soup…"

"Ew, man that's just nasty." The M turtle looked to the R turtle, "Ralph, maybe we should have left him behind."

"Don't look at me Michelangelo, Don and the others though he could help out. Of course, it seems we found more trouble than good because of this jerk!"

Shredder now gave his wrathful glare to Raphael, "It's not my fault your "family", has been unable to survive the massacres."

* * *

In the sewers some time before, the earthquakes caused incredible instabilities. One of them was so great that five subterranean dwellers moved out of their home to see what happened, but only after some time passed when they all began. They were the turtles, with them a large rodent man with a walking stick and another is a blue wearing turtle with an L on his buckle. The family unit was of four teenage turtles, and their father or sensei, the rat. "Leonardo," The rat spoke in sagely words, "Keep you and your brothers together, I must see something." His nose was picking up scents. Scents he did not like. Leonardo gave a nod as the rat walked over to a ladder leading to the surface. "Master Splinter said to wait here, so we will." 

"Gee, great job as leader, Leo." Raphael was soon given a stern look but he ignored it, now slopping on a wall of the sewer he heard noises coming through the tunnels. One of them he soon recognized, as Shredder, "What are they doing here?"

Shredder, with his blades over his arms drenched in blood screamed to the ninjas with him, "Move it you fools! Those freaks are on our tails!" he looked back, and three of his remaining 7 ninja suddenly fell under the water, "Blast it! We can't keep running!" Shredder swung about with his blades glistening; soon the others look to him and try to mimic his confidence. It wasn't confidence; he'd just rather die trying to kill whatever is trying to kill him.

That was when it happened; the thing chasing them came from the water. It was a long worm like abomination with one large eye opening with three layers of eyelids. It had a set of fangs hanging in a slacked jaw below the eye, with drool now dripping and mixing with the sewage as it groaned a deep gurgling sound. As it stretched out its upper body, soon several tentacles began to extend along its sides and swaying slowly about. "Filthy…" Shredder made a swing as one tentacle came upon him in speed unfathomable, but not unpredictable. It groaned loudly with the lost limb, soon its others were beginning to swish about after the various ninja and with each limb cut it only grew back again. The beast groaned, and this time the detached limbs began to squiggle and form little heads at their tips. The heads were similar to its own and they swam towards the ninjas and Shredder, before they could react. The new little serpents surrounded them in death grips, soon their arms and bodies are bound but Shredder is able to break free since his body is covered by blades. The ninjas scream for him to help, but he snarls as he runs through the waist deep waters with their shrill screams echoing his escape. "It's better to be alive, than a dead fool!"

This was where the turtles began their own interest pulling up weapons, Leonardo with two katana swords screamed "What are you doing here Shredder?"

"Out of my way freaks! I am going to put as much distance between me and it as possible!"

The turtles now saw the creature, and soon it was finished with the ninjas it looked to them. Leo gave the order to attack, and they did. It swung the limbs, and tried to strike but all is as before. Limbs were cut off, and regenerate making more creatures. This time however, Raphael made a change as he flipped his dagger like weapon in hand, holding the central tip's edge he flung it and into the monster's eye. It screams in a loud shrill shriek, before seceding into the waters as its little tentacle creatures began to squirm with similar screams and die. A little bit of mirth and they all start speaking in celebrative slang, Shredder has stopped his retreat to look back surprised, "I could have done that…"

"Yeah, but you didn't!" Raphael struts over to the dead monster's eye and pulled his weapon out, twirling it he poses adding "That's why we're the good guys, and we always win."

Just then the monster reared up with wide spread jaws, the sudden flash and its head is separated from the body. There stood Leonardo with two katana still dripping of the monster, and he turned to add "You know the rules! Always expect the unexpected."

Raphael gave his look, but soon it's replaced with fear as Leonardo fell over screaming, a large gash in the back of his shell some shadow jumped off from his last attack, rebound off a wall, and put distance back between the turtles, Shredder, and himself. The shadow was in fact Dead Man, and he held his own katana blade with a little line of blood over it. "Whoa, thought I'd slice through that thing. Must be a little harder than I thought, next time a nut-cracker perhaps?"

Leonardo stood up as his brothers all crowded, asking him if he's okay. Leo nods to step forward, asking, "Where did you come from?"

"That manhole." They looked to the manhole Splinter had taken, "You know it's a good thing I was in the area, I mean, the size of the rats in this city!" The teens look back wide eyed, "You can't have things like that roaming around it's just unsanitary!"

"That was master Splinter!" Raphael snarled with disgust, rage, "What did you do to him?"

"Ah, the rat, so it has a name? Or rather, it had a name."

"You lie!"

Dead Man had to raise his head to show the smile on his burned face, "Do I?"

There is slightly a change in the teens, Leonardo gave a look to his brothers and screamed as he charged forward, and tagging his blades to Dead Man's one he began to order, "Get out of here! Find somewhere safe! I'll meet with you, promise!"

"Are you crazy?" Raphael began to ready his weapons as did the others, but Leo snapped "That's an order! I'm in charge, go now! Take Shredder with you!"

Raphael looked to Shredder, and screamed "No way! I vote he's on his own."

"Well I vote he goes, now go!" To that Shredder was given no choice when the other two began to leave. Soon Raphael followed in a snarl, and Leonardo gave a little grin after tagging blades again to pull back away, "You're going to pay for what you did!"

"Ooh, I'm shaking in my boots!" Dead Man swung his sword and it shattered the other Katana, now both have but one sword. "You don't know just how bad you got yourself in freak."

Shredder and the turtles were now slowing down after half an hour of running perhaps passed, if not more. He screamed "I hate this accursed city, along with these accursed sewers!" He wadded towards the wall to prop himself up, "I also hate you accursed freaks!"

"Yeah, well the feelings mutual bucket head!" Raphael looked up to now notice a van parked near by, "Whoa, what's that doing down here?"

Michelangelo gave a big grin, "Please be a lost Pizza van!"

Don, he was looking as he walked around it, "Wow, this is some tight stuff. The armor is reinforced, also covered in a polyhedral glaze. These turrets, they seem to be designed with multiple mannerisms for combat. I never saw something so high-tech!"

Shredder didn't care, he knocked on the door to have Jack pop out, and look up to Shredder's eyes, "… Oh boy, honey, you think this is a ghost?"

Shredder graced his claws before his face, they shined in the lights of the van's internal machines, "No, but you could be if I'm not in that dry, warm van in about five seconds."

Jack gave a little gulp, and stepped back as Shredder walked in to be viewed in some serious stares. The turtles also came in, but somehow it was the blade covered psycho they were more worried over. Ben even asked, "Those things come with directions?"

"Yes," Shredder leaned down to cause the young boy to look on in his own courageous glare, to which Shredder seemed to gleam his eyes a little at the sight of such a young boy willing to not give in to the sheer presence of this man. "The directions are quite simple. Stay out of my way, and you may live."

"I bet." Ben did move as Shredder sat down next to him it was not like he was scared, but those things seem sharp… and painful.

The van soon begins to give those introductions, Don got into a talk with Tucker about his mini-computer, and Don showed off his communicator he made from scrap parts. Raphael got into it with Ben and Danny; they talked about their little bits of fighting know-how. Michelangelo tried to cheer up the adults with some humor, but they got more worried with the impending doom up ahead at Baxter Building. Shredder didn't give anyone the time of day; Jazz did look at him but quickly went to ignoring him. Then, Sam also tried to ask if he's into heavy metal or something, to which he growled lowly and she got the vibe he was just into sharp objects… really, sharp objects.

While it seemed to group got situated, the sound of fighting breaks outside. Here was the appearance of Dante, the rescue, and soon the present situation…

* * *

"That took some time." Magneto rubbed his forehead taking in everything. "It's still good to have more capable support. Ben," Magneto watched the 10 year old hop off a table, "You lost your family. If they survived I'm sure they'll be in the commons area you should go and try to find them. If you'd like I could have someone go with you." 

"Gee, thanks! I was so caught up in everything I forgot!" He ran through the door and Danny is mentioned to going along, a chance to see Sam and Tucker while they were outside too. Soon Shredder gave a look among the room, "I'm guessing we sent them out to talk about the next problem. Or rather, how we're all going to die?"

Reed looked a bit more sour now, "Well he's right. The boys weren't supposed to be here for the news we're talking about. We have very few options to defending the building, and even with all these powerful people fighting that won't change our odds enough. They have an army; we have some people with families and only a handful of those with the power to fight. In the end, we can't win."

"We need a measure of escape." Magneto stated that like no one knew, but they did, it just seemed no one had a way of actually committing it. Shredder now a little upset with such a stupid statement opened the door ready to leave, however, he then heard the large video screen in this room's one wall spark on. Its image began to clear up, showing the mad man in iron armor and mask, with a green hooded cloak and vest. "Greetings, Reed my old friend. It has been quite the night has it not?"

"Victor…" Reed had to let the sheer fathom of disgust ring in his voice, of all enemies Victor Von Doom is the most recognized in the entire world, even beyond Lex Luthor in some respects. "That's Dr. Victor Von Doom, my old friend."

"What the hell do you want Victor? We're not interested in your ridicule if that's what you're here for."

"I'm not so petty my friend. In fact, I came to first mention that these monsters that fell from the sky have been drawn back from Latveiria's borders." This caused some surprise, but Doom's eyes within the masked face became a little distasteful, "Don't everyone believe me at once."

Magneto nods to Doom, "It's not that we don't believe you we merely find it odd."

"Actually, most areas were not carpeted highly like you own. It seems the creatures, what ever they are, do not have a full understanding of our world and just who is to be worried over. They now learned that I'm not a man to be trifled with, me or my Mechanical Men." To that two mechanized men stood at each side of Doom, similar in his face but more over the body is robotic with distorted armored forms.

"They get uglier and uglier." The Thing had been quiet; he's a fighter not a planner. Then again, he and Doom were never good friends.

"My, that was drool even for you Benjamin."

"Aw, you just bring it out of me, Vic."

Reed got irritated in the talk, so he snaps "Damn it Victor! What do you want?"

Victor Von Doom now seemed a little less pleased, but h let his fingers rest onto tip for tip of each hand, and looking out above them he seemed to partake the role of ruler and tyrant once more. "Reed, we're in a war. These things have no plans to simply negotiate, not yet for they still have an advantage. We must not allow them to keep hold of their advantage. Right now, they see you all quivering like frightened dogs and it excites them more. I know, for I often am the one watching my enemies quiver. These things certainly would be my prime choice for allies, yet their more intriguing adversaries." Victor shifts his weight to let his hand out to Reed, "I'm offering the one thing I never offer, for now this is not an enemy of mine or yours, it is ours. I am on a direct course with a large arsenal and collective of Mechanical Men, as well I have intercepted a relay from ships of the 'Tameranian Fleet' in our orbit. When my ships begin the attack, these other ships will load up your refugees for escape. I found the leader of this fleet, Galfore, very hospitable. He seems to have a daughter on this world, of all things."

"I don't get it. This isn't your style Doom. What's the catch?"

Victor sort of seemed put out, he turned in his throne and it too swiveled away, his side profile is given but he tilt his head to the screen, "Survival. That is my way, and my curse. You should have known that by now my friend. I always survive, and if you died what would the world be, for Doctor Victor Von Doom?"

Reed sort of had a little smirk, "Now that, that sounds like you Victor."

"Indeed, well till then try not to get yourselves killed. I mean it," His eyes seemed to shift to Susan Richards, "it would be a shame if you were killed before I was ready, to see it."

Susan, knowing his look was on her now gave a slight nod, "Thank you Victor. We really could use the help."

Victor Von Doom lowered his head, but soon it turned to a nod. "Yes, it is a pleasure. I hope to see all of you safe." His view came to Magneto, "As I also can't wait to meet the legendary Magnus, to see you here with humans."

"The world has changed greatly Victor. My old adversary, Charles, has passed on and left the X-men in my charge." Magnus could tell it was a shock even to Doom, Storm walked to Magneto's side and Doom gave another nod, "Interesting, so this may just be the damned end of the world. No surprises, after all I'm going to work with that walking quarry of asphalt."

Before The Thing could yell something the screen went dead, "Why that… I hate him, so much!"

The screen came back on, and this time it was Green Lantern, "Come in, this is the Justice League! We have an emergency!"

* * *

Danny didn't have to waste time finding Sam and Tucker. They were waiting outside for him, but Ben had to look through the crowds. 

He screams for them, both Grandpa and Gwen. It wasn't like he was worried… well; okay he was a little worried. They were out of his reach because he had to act like a jerk. Then again, it wasn't his entire fault… okay, it was his fault. Ben just now worried over their well being, if they made it okay, if they were even here, or if…

"Ben!" Ben swung about to have Gwen snatching him around the neck in a hug, he blushed from that one. It was then the strong arms of Grandpa Max swinging them both up in the air and hugging them both. They giggled, Grandpa just laughed, and soon the three were overjoyed to know the other is safe. Letting them down, Ben rubbed his neck as he looked on Gwen's feet, "Gwen, about earlier I'm sorry I…"

"You can't help it, you're you." Ben looked up kind of angry, but the tears in her eyes made him realize it's not some insult. "Thanks… but I really am sorry."

Grandpa rustled Ben's hair saying "Kids, they seem to be planning to kill me. Gwen wanted to make a search for you when things got rough."

"She did?" Ben was sort of surprised, "Even after what I said, and the way I acted?"

"Well duh! You're my family, even if I'm not genuinely a member I won't forget what we went through. Family is what it is, family."

Ben looked blankly at her, but a sly smile he says "You're just happy you didn't get me killed."

"What?" She was going to start fuming, but his smile and she sighed, "You know what, you really irritate me."

The three start to banter off with what happened. To the window is Spider-man who has seemed very silent in all that has happened. He's just thinking over all that will happen soon. "It's going to happen soon. Whatever it is, it's going to be soon."

"Poor web slinger, still upset over your pathetic futility?"

Spider-man now saw Venom, where the hell has he been? It didn't matter; this was going to be it. "So you made it. I guess better late than never."

"Don't count us short Spider. This group of misfits may pull off a miracle still."

"Why do you say that?" Spider-man heard the laughter of those children with their Grandpa, and Venom answers, "We offered hope. The article brought those who want to survive here, and now they must hold their hopes. That is their responsibility for the power of life, the hope it will become more."

Spider-man looked over to him and seemed to chuckle, "You're so gay."

"You cursed Spider, argh!"

They began to laugh, and that is when Husk, the young mutant the X-men looked for came running up, "Excuse me, do you know where Cyborg is? He was right here and one minute he's just… vanished!"

Spider-man gave a puzzled look, "You mean he got lost in the crowds?"

"No, he literally disappeared."

"What?" Spider-man opened a connection to Mr. Fantastic, "Reed, Cyborg just disappeared."

Reed looked up to the screen, and Green Lantern lowered his head, "We know Spider-man it seems all the Teen Titans have disappeared. We don't know why, but perhaps it has some importance to why one of them is being trained."

"Huh? Being trained, by who?"

"It is complicated but we're sure it's nothing bad. For now we can only wait." Reed closed the connection and sternly asked Lantern "Was there anything else you wanted to warn us of?"

"No…" Lantern lowered his head, "I'm sorry."

* * *

In his camp Akaige stood before a large flaming ring, in it is Trigon sitting in a throne. The two were talking before, but recently the answer to a question got Akaige to look stunned. Trigon shrugs, and closes the portal. To that Akaige stood still, and then his eyes glow bright and he roars forth "_Cowardly dog!"_

Gaikotsu sighed as he pulled out the chair for Akaige, "I figured he'd say no. He feels he did enough letting you in the drivers seat. He's more worried about his false sense of power than the destruction and mayhem you want my lord." Gaikotsu watched as Akaige sat down in the throne, "At least Shao Khan sent reinforcements. That, and Darkseid sent a message they have the necessary components, Ultron snagged that Professor Utonium, and Japan is completely cleared out… although the princesses did escape…" Gaikotsu coughs, but looks for another bright angle, "Oh! I know! That Orochimaru guy! He's going to send on of his demons to assist in our plans! I bet that cheers you up, huh?"

Akaige moves from the camp letting himself growl lowly, "_I'm more irritated from something earlier. The realization came to me that…" _Akaige looked to the Baxter Building, and he gave a little growl again. Now he walked out from the tent towards the areas outside the city. He soon began to grow his cape wings and flapped off, putting distance between him and the others.

It was then as he flew something caused him to hit the ground. It was an orb of black and purple energy; he soon flung about the ground as the energy shocked and tossed over him. Floating down is a woman with dark black hair; here eyes are blackness and nothing else. She wore an all black dress, and her veins bulge with black color. Akaige stood up, a little bit annoyed he snaps, "_Witch, you think you're a match for me?"_

"You killed Buffy, Xander, and even Giles. You killed them all!"

Akaige didn't seem too thrilled, so when she fired off bolts from open palms he blocked with his claw arm. That is when he hears another collection of energy coming from above; he swung out his sword to block the bolts with his other arm. This next fighter is the black hero teen, Static Shock. He's rolling down with a glowing board. Akaige now noticed more of a sound, from his front. There is a white blur zooming at him with red, wait, a red cape… with an S? "_I thought I…"_ the blur smashed Akaige in the chest and tore him across the ground, before it pulled off and floats to the air with the other two. This one is a white dog with a red cape and the S-Superman symbol. Akaige got up and now shook his head, "_This is just pathetic. A witch, oversized battery, and some flea ridden Super-dog all think they can stop me now? What's next, please, I'm dying of anticipation."_

In the answer was the sound of a string being plucked, from an acoustic guitar? Akaige looked back over his shoulder to see sitting on her golden Vespa, with her red guitar, and her eyes coldly scowling at Akaige is Haruko.

* * *

The titans, Robin, Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Starfire are surrounded by black nothingness and a single light shines down from overhead, leaving an area they can see. Robin looks over to the others, "Um… what's going on? I remember being here, but then… I couldn't seem to do anything." 

"Yes, it was puzzling as I wished to tell you the joys of seeing you, yet I was unable to function through movement and action."

Cyborg slaps his face, "Aw man, I was so hitting it off with that Paige girl! She has the hots for me, I know it!"

Beast Boy gave a little smirk, nudging his friend, "You probably got saved from being embarrassed or something."

"Danger," The teens make to stances, but the appearance of Time Trapper and they lessen the worried looks, him in the long purple robe. "I apologize for distorting you from time but a mess has become very problematic. I need you all to help me."

"What?" Robin now noticed more figures; all are in robes of black with large scythes. One was with him a young girl with a deep-penetrating scowl, and a boy with a rather large round nose. The next one wore a golden necklace of a skull, and had baggy purple pants and armor over the chest. Another held a beer, and downed it to only have the alcohol roll out and under his cloak. The other one they saw was not in black, she was in fact in a purple kimono with an oar she was riding. "Um, what's going on?"

The figures in black remove their hoods, thus allowing their skulls to be apparent. The one with the two kids spoke in a Jamaican type of accent, "Do not be afraid, child, we be the Reapers of Souls. From many a world and reality, we exist to take the souls of our vigilance to their final resting place."

"Yeah, of course I prefer a certain monetary fee of two brass coins myself." The strange reaper with the necklace now twirled two coins between his bony fingers.

The reaper with the beer shrugged, "I'm just trying to teach the dead how to start living, I mean, you need to liven up." He now downed the beverage, and yet again it just seeped through, "Oh man I hope I don't have to drive home again… not like that last time."

Boutan the reaper on the oar floats to the titans, "You see this mess has caused countless souls to be disarranged. We all were called in to try and fix it. Unfortunately, that's not so easy. The only way we can fix this is if Raven can stop those demons. If she is killed, however…"

"Wait!" Beast Boy popped his head in the middle of the conversation, "Is Raven in trouble or something?"

"We believe so. She should have awoken, but her mojo is all out of whack, mahn." The reaper with two kids now twirled a finger at his head, "We are not so sure, but someone or something has interfered with the process. This is causing some problems not to mention making a dangerous chance of something bad coming and ruining everything." He points to the titans; they get the feeling this was the kicker, "You see that's why we called you. We want you to go and help protect her as the process is taking too blasted long."

"Well, sure! Let's get going!"

The reaper with coins tossed them up in the air, "Hold it right there!" He snatched them again, and began to do more little tricks, "If you go as you are you'll be pulverized. We have felt the shift of an evil in the cosmos, probably Akaige got to another villain. This means we're going to need the more, elaborate, means of fighting them."

The titans are confused, but Robin asks "What do you mean, 'elaborate'."

"Oh, we're going to fuse you guys together into a super-warrior." The reaper with the beer bottle burps loudly before tossing the now empty bottle away, "Hey, let's get this show on the road. I've got this super-evil baby and me playing poker at nine-o-clock. If I win, I get this watch or something, he wins I have to kill Louis… or was it Louie Anderson? I can't remember, damn it."

"A super-warrior? What are you talking about?"

"We can't send you as you are this next evil will be very powerful. Only with you sharing the same body, mind, and soul can you stop them. It's a temporary kind of deal too, like only an hour or less!" Boutan pleads with them now, "Please, it's our only chance!"

The titans look amongst themselves, and in a slight twitch Robin squeaks, "Okay…"

The reapers give little nods and float in front a titan each. The titans face them, and let their backs face one-another's. The reapers begin to spin their scythes and Boutan her oar. The weapons glow and gather power to now blast one titan each. The titan's bodies blast to one spot with energy through them, connecting in the center of them all four. Their bodies disappear, and the center of the energy began to take a new shape. When it is done a new figure stood before them all, the figure is not Robin, it is not Cyborg, it is not Beast Boy, and it is not Starfire. It is, Titan. "Titan? That's the gayest thing I ever heard!" The reaper now found another beer, "Oh, hey! Paul Tucket! My favorite!"

* * *

Slade stood with Terra, and Thanos is unconscious at their feet. It took a long time, and much of their strength. However, Raven was safe. "Terra…" 

"Don't start Slade. Let's just finish this and keep a watch on Raven."

To that he gave a gloomed nod. The two went over to check on her but a sound is heard, like wind being displaced or energy slowing down. They see three men at the doorway, weird men, all of different looks. The one is a large muscular bald guy with a mustache, and he wore a black and gold armor outfit with boots that matched. Over his one eye is a strange screen with some kind of numbers flashing, and then they noticed a monkey like tail moving along his waist. "Huh, this is the place?" He looked over to Slade and Terra, and his machine seemed to pick them out, "Hm, they have nice sized power levels. The one eyed guy has a stronger stance, but the girl has a higher energy level. They make a good team, but nothing Raditz couldn't handle."

The one this man called Raditz gave a glare. He's with long black hair falling behind his back, and another armor and tail like his counterpart but not quite as big. He now looked at the two and shrugged, he was somewhere around a teenager, but his build was very chiseled as was his counterpart. "I guess, Nappa. Still, why would Friezabe all worked up over these guys?"

The third, shortest of the three men was a teenager. He had black had that spiked straight up, and he wore a blue spandex with a white armor and gold, white boots and gloves he now let his scanner search for the next signature. When it found the unconscious girl, his scanner began to fly up, and he nearly had his eyes pop. She's unconscious, and her level was rising higher and higher, so high the machine shattered. "I see… so that's the target Frieza mentioned." He looked to Raditz, "You're the lowest one here and most in need of training experience. Get your butt in gear!"

"What? Vegeta, this is a waste of time!"

Vegeta gave a glare, Raditz now frowned as he took a step forward, "What a pain in the…"

Slade put his arms up, but Raditz had disappeared to launch his knee in Slade's gut, and then volleys of punches and kicks launched Slade around till one final kick made him plummet into the wall behind. Terra is next, she raised her hands but soon she's being punched in the head fifty times per second. She is let loose from the punches and falls with a bloody lip and nose, next a simple pick up by the hair and toss to the side. Raditz now turned to the girl on the floor, and asked "What about her?"

"She's the target you idiot." Vegeta looked out the temple, "You know what to do."

"Right!" Raditz steeped down with his open hand, but then something slammed him hard over the head out the temple, Vegeta barely evaded or so it seemed, he just waited and moved at the last moment. There now stood the one who hit him, this fighter was a green skinned man, with armor plating covering pieces of his body. The machinery glows bright blue, but their eyes glow a stunning emerald, and their hands also had the green glow. Along their waist is a golden belt, and the left breast of their armored body is a golden R. Their hair is long and flowing like a woman's but the black color is not feminine at all. Their ears flicked a little, the green pointed ears that only mimicked the oddity of a little toothy grin on their manly looking face. The figure lands, with a strange aura it was able to float at will. Titan had entered this arena. "You won't harm our friend!" spoke many voices in one.

* * *

Raven stood, tired and beat. She had many weapons scattered around the area. As she struggled for breaths Sephiroth was now just standing there like nothing has really happened. He has injuries, and he breathes deeper than before, but he's not really acting all that tired. Raven had in her hand a large scythe weapon, the wings are shaped to be a scythe as the Raven was perched on the end of a long pole. Raven could not really swing the weapon, she is too tired. Raven finally flung the scythe, and Sephiroth only stepped back to let it fall at his feet. "Pathetic." He walked over to her, slowly, and then he asked "What was the point of this?" 

Raven didn't look up, she kept her head down. Sephiroth looked one more time at Raven, before sighing deeply, "You had so much promise. Too bad you wasted so much potential." Sephiroth raised his arms over head and readied to slice her down. However, Raven's face lights up and her wings shatter away, chains now wrapped around Sephiroth holding his arms, body, legs, and one wing inside a cocoon of magical restraints. He is startled, confused, all so much that when Raven levitates in the air and calls the weapons off the ground he's not even aware. He was not aware as the weapons turned into bolts of energy, and they speed on him to lunge themselves deep within his body. The energy lances caused Sephiroth to loose his hold of the Masamune, his long bladed sword, and it clangs over the ground with a thunderous clatter. Raven grasps the sword by its handle and tries to raise it but the weight stops her. Raven noticed Sephiroth is trying to break free; his wing has snapped several restraints already. She now ushered her powers into the sword and raised it, pulled back, and charges with a murderous scream.

The sword impales the winged angel. He screams, and the chains snap as his wing shattered free and arms clasp to the wound of the sword no in his belly. His body is stressing, and his voice echoes the stone walls of this fiery hell. He now fell on one knee; the energy released has burned away the top of his outfit aside from the shoulder braces on his chest. Now he fell on both knees with his eyes glaring on Raven, she smiled, and he too smiled at her. "Impressive…" he then fell on his one side and there his body seemed to disappear in blackness, and feathers. The sword also disappeared, and Raven took a DEEP breath before sighing.

"Well now that was a good one!" Evils Angel walked up clapping his hands. "I admit, not often you get to see your student do such a nice job."

"Thanks. So you liked it?" Evils Angel nods, and Raven asks, "Well, will you answer a question?" Evils Angel shrugs, "Is that the question?"

"No… why didn't you tell me you're a woman?"

"…." Evils Angel gave a smug look while their black wings wrapped out and from what was once an old man, turned to a lovely young woman with black stripes under her eyes, a physique quite becoming, and the armor was no longer horrid but quite garish. "I guess I tried to be too much a dick, huh? I just figured you'd respect a man more than this."

Raven rolled her eyes as they were walking off laughing. Yes, that was the truth of the training. Whatever it was, Raven still wasn't sure. "Oh, the name's actually Britannia, if you're wondering."

Raven didn't, but she gave a shrug not so much pleased or surprised. She already was healing her injuries for the most part. The darkness of Sephiroth dissipated, and one last black feather rose up off the ground. It slowly raised, and floated up to slowly float back down.

…..

…..

….. Then step down two black clamed boots, one after the other right beside it.

Raven stops, and Evils Angel turned fully around, "Son of a…"

There stood Sephiroth with his shirt burnt away, and wing now bare of feathers slowly building them back. A hole in his chest now healing with a black mist showed as the newest oddity. His eyes glow brighter than before, and he smiles more hauntingly than before. As his hands created the Masamune, Raven looked back to see his view on her. "You are persistent."

"I was about to say the same thing to you, my dear."

Note: Long time since an update. I added more characters, more storylines, and better yet I concluded the more secondary tales to allow full concentration on what's going to happen with Raven, and the people at the Baxter Building. Much more to come, and the climactic conclusion of the big Raven/Sephy showdown! Orochimaru is the creation of 'Metal Overlord 2.0' and his property therein. I also wish to say I do not own,

Teen Titans, Justice League, X-men: Evolution, X-men: Comics, Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Devil May Cry, Tenchi Muyo, FLCL, Yu-Yu-Hakusho, Case Files, Ben 10, Danny Phantom, Power Puff Girls, Avengers, Ultron, Final Fantasy, Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Static Shock, Dragon Ball Zamong many other things. The only thing I take credit for are, as always, the Kagejin. That's my creation and now I hope to hear from you all, please Review if you can? It'd be nice to know you're still reading even after such LONG chapters!

If you're confused, a recap will be in the next chapter aswell the conclusion of beginning events. I wanted to end in this chapter but things were beginning to really collect, this has 50pages of story in it! I didn't even notice till I started looking, wow, no wonder why I took so long to update! Hope to see you there when I do it again!

The idea to use Dragon Ball Z was something last minute, caused when I thought Titan kind of had that whole DBZ-Fusion thing going. Originally they were going to have to fight the villain from the Ben 10 genre, or maybe some generic Kagejin. I even made it more pre-DBZ, with the teenage cast. Frieza is the same age while Vegeta was a young boy, so as a teenager it might be fun if he turns into another hero like in DBZ. Or, he could just stay evil who knows? This thing has so many pop-culture/Video icons it's kind of silly. Next chapter some of the characters will start to dissapear, more secondary or minor roles mostly. Perhaps even the more recognized roles may be taken too. We will just have to wait and see. In the mean time, please leave me a review to let me know how you felt about some of the new developments.


	11. The Sum of Evil

The Age of Akaige

By: Pakkrat

Chapter 11: The Sum of Evil

Note: Long chapter, overdo update, and a bit of story to finish up some of those little questions some of you may have been asking. Be sure to check the forum to ask/discuss the events that have been popping up or maybe join in with other topics.

The one winged swordsman held his blade up in a prepared attack, two women stood to his front ready for battle. One is Raven, the other is the strange mentor she met called Britannia. Sephiroth's sword was inching to the spot he wanted to let it go in a strike, but he is stopped with the sound of honking. His eyes left his two opponents, and in it was the first mistake Raven and Britannia took advantage of. Raven flew in her fists glowing; Britannia raised her hands to craft the sword she often uses. As Raven released the punches into the exposed gut, Britannia swung down her blade to make a spreading wave of flames slam in on the other two. Raven releases her energy through her hands to cause the rippling pound of Sephiroth's chest, then she disappeared, the wave now carried the winged warrior to some distance back away. As he was gone, Raven and Britannia see the strange clown car rolling in which Raven recognized. The chubby Clown demon pulled out from the car and gave his sickening decayed smile, "Hey ladies! So, what's the haps? I've been trying to find you girls all over this place, it's been like hell!" He waddled over with a little glint in his eyes, "I even brought a hitchhiker."

Sephiroth was pushing off of his knees and was in turn getting ready to kill them all, but a strange energy came over his still knelt body and sparked off four electrical currents making a pyramid around him. The pyramid took and now spread its energy, a faint green colored kind, along the currents to make a prism that in it Sephiroth seemed to have stopped in motion, completely. The man, or man like being, that did this act took steps out past Sephiroth and towards the others. He was somewhat nothing more than a walking shadow cloaked with a torn cloth along his broad shoulders and head. His features were outlined with lighter gray tones; he had no face except the blue eyes showing in a somewhat refined manner. As he walked his hands were behind his back, he stopped to Raven and spoke in a rough voice, "He'll be detained for a while, could you follow me?" Raven looked to Sephiroth, and nodded realizing that was a spell she never saw before. "Good, as for you two," he turned to Clown and Britannia, "You can do whatever you wish we'll not be long."

As this unknown figure walked with Raven, Clown turned to the feminine warrior and gave a sly grin, "So…" however, she growled with her eyes turning red, "Uh… never mind."

Raven followed the figure a little across a bridge of stone over lava pools, "Who, and what are you?"

"My name, or for your sake you may call me Shadow. I am a demon who once was a vicious and cruel dark master. However, my story changed in the time I attacked a village where an elderly man merged his purity to my essence. It left me with the first senses of feeling, and in it remorse for the evils I committed. For that sense I now do what I may to repay my debts through acts of greater good. Sure enough, training you would be a most positive step with your," Shadow looked up and came to a decision on the best way to word this, "hmm, shall we say, current problems, back on earth."

Raven looked puzzled, but it clicks and she slaps her forehead, "For the love of… will this stupid learning crap be over before I'm old and gray!"

Shadow seemed to chuckle, and in a movement he's now motioning to the other end of the bridge, here a rounded section of the stone platform made a slight arena with the lava below. "This is the final little test, you must release the inner demon to finish your, Quest I suppose fits this mess," he cupped his chin, "yes, that is fitting."

Raven snaps to this would be mentor, "Are you SERIOUS! I first was attacked in my dreams, then Fate took me in to train me, after that Malchior, then the Time Trapper sent me to a shrine where my soul is taken to HELL, to then go to a spiritual Azar where I'm sent the HELL back to HELL to fight that freak, and in the midst of that I'm sent to learn this?"

"Yes." His point fact answer is followed by a nod, "So shall we continue?"

Raven gave a glare, and her shoulders slumped as she moaned "I need to find a different job."

* * *

There is a loud sound ringing across the skies, but it only rang here and not farther out where it could cause trouble. The sound is a projected musical current from the guitar Haruko played, on her vespa, making a powerful force that launched a certain shadow demon back and into several buildings. Akaige smashed through the rubble to come rolling to a stop, trailing the debris and dust with his fall. His sudden roll came to a stop and he stood, but at his stand are the incoming fangs of a certain caped canine. The fangs dug to his throat, the jugular, and Akaige gagged with the tearing of his flesh while the hound tore and gnawed. At one time the dog was a domesticated friend, but loss of two masters held his mind to the feral instincts in his soul. Akaige felt the mists of his throat gushing out, lumps of purple mush exited the tares and onto the ground, he eventually pried the beast off and held its scruff by the claw. In tow, Akaige hissed a gurgling sound, and then he flung the beast into the pavement under his own body with a thunderous crash and yelp. Letting go he backed up, grabbing at the wound with his human hand Akaige now snarled in ungodly hisses, his reaction was from the wound. The crackling energy behind him and he turned swift, "At least he's not as up-tight with his snide remarks." Static mused as the bolts lick off his fingers, "A little Shock Therapy might clear that up…" and the blast flies forth from his hands. 

Akaige bent to the legs and leapt over this blast, charging a power in his claw aimed at Static he gave a low hiss, he was then struck from a black energy, and the female witch screams "Magic won't save you, it's only going to bury you!" Willow's energy flourished in the beam enough to send the demon to the ground again, but he slowly pushed off the pavement to growl in his wounded vocals. The sound of an engine and he turns his head, his eyes role as the music blares to launch him through two large doors into a structure, where in his landing on his back Akaige gave wide-eyed astonished horror as his back began to burn, soon following his skin in blistering marks.

Haruko rolled in with a smile, Akaige rolled over in the blistering marks spreading and boiling greater. His arm reached forward and soon followed the other as he pulled himself deeper into the building. "Well, somebody just had a rude awakening. This here is a church, if you couldn't tell!" she chuckled darkly as Akaige latched his arm down again and dragged himself deeper into the stain glassed building, making way to a large cross at the long end of this rug red with gold trim, rows of long benches at each of his sides. Haruko plucked a string to now make a small wind funnel around her, "You see demons always were known for a weakness to holy ground. Even you must have had that weakness, and so I'm finding out yes you most certainly do!" The dark demon slammed his hand again, short of the cross he seemed to just lie there breathing hard, "So, are you afraid? Do you think you felt the pain this world has? What about Krypto loosing two people he called 'friend' and 'master', or Static loosing his family and friends, then how about Willow and the people she loved more than life itself?" Akaige turned his head to Haruko and she had a tight grip on her guitar, her eyes watering, "What about the moment I realized that I lost him, because of a monster like you? Huh? You think this is enough pain, yet?"

"_Pain…"_ the voice of his mind breaks to their minds, and then the cape rips into shreds that latch onto the cross, where they began to enflame but quickly they pull up the dark master to this emblem. He latches his human hand on the tip of the top, a surge and his growl makes with the sizzling hand, but it is in the diving press of his claw the church caught in black flame and green sparks press off to the walls. The green sparks make green boiling goop along the walls and the church quickly looses its glory as it became a mess of unholy taint, windows now shatter and walls crumble, while Akaige turns his head again to say "_The only pain here is in the fact you thought you actually could win against me, with such a petty strategy!"_ And a quick shift Akaige bends at the knee off the cross to launch through the nearest window. Haruko now wished to follow but the pools of green bubble more, and only Willow raising a shield blocked the boiling acids from killing them all.

The barrier is let to fall after the once holy place fell completely and then Haruko began her chase, a greater rage on her face. She was sure that it would work! Holy places (Plus) evil beast from hell (Equals) Weaker and easier to kill! So what does he do, defiles the place with his own damn aura! Crud, makes things tougher… but he was weaker now, if they stuck on him in his injured state they MAY have a good chance of beating him! That's the plan; injure him, hunt him, and release all their rallied rage upon him. That's why she chose them they have the best reason to fight him now. They were just like her; they have nothing else to loose.

Akaige ran quickly now even with the injuries. What he was going to do didn't seem obvious, but he already had some plan functioning in his mind obvious from the grin glaring from his hood by twisted fangs. Of course, the silver surfing board messed that all up! It came from no where and struck him across the damn face! This made Akaige twirl on his own back heels and fall to the ground on his back. Shaking his senses into order, Akaige saw the duo of one man made of silver, another of gold. The Surfer and Amazo? _For the love of all that is darkness, you have got to be kidding me!"_

Haruko is closing in, the two newest members made his day just perfect! Somehow he rolled onto his back and looked fast to the surrounding. The stone graves meant a graveyard and he chuckled to these sights for sore eyes. Amazo released a beam of his power into the dark fiend to have him wail, then he looked up to Haruko now stopping quick, "We apologize for being late, Surfer had been occupied."

"Who cares, just thanks for coming!" Haruko gave glint in her eyes as the five became seven, "Lucky seven, see how things just work out sometimes?"

"_You don't say?"_ Akaige's eyes leer on her as his claw etched the dirt, and in the moment she noticed the etchings glow deep red, and crackle across the ground at many different directions. Onto each grave the cracks would cease and quickly they changed color to green. The green made upward from the cracks following moans and crumbling, the decayed limbs of those underground pushed forward to cause the seven to look in fright, the graveyard just happened to be now a living mass of the undead! These zombies did not keep human qualities as most seemed more nothing but bone with mesh of flesh; they had green glows coming from their eyes matching the energy that awoke them. Haruko just rolled her eyes, "Please, you think these things will save you?" as she turned her head to where Akaige was last, she saw he was shifting to a flattened form of himself that dissipated into the shadows, lurching to the next shadow and the next. "Wh-what the… he's running away!" Haruko made a move forward but two rather large undead popped up on front of her, Haruko blinked in confusion but soon in a cartoonist visage jumped from their swing with panic. Her vespa even puttered away from her, to which she snapped "You traitor!"

The group fought these monsters, except Willow who driven completely by rage pulled from their fight to chase the shadow leaping beast. Krypto saw this and also followed, using his eyes to shatter the hands that reached and pulled his cape. Surfer floated to lash out in his energy, cosmic powers bestowed to his body made him fierce. The moment a zombie grabbed him and he swung his arm with it, to find the beast fall to the ground and lie there falling apart? He looked closer as that was where the green energy ends from the cracks; his mind is clicked, and turned back around on his board the symbol once red was now green! He blasts his aura to make the symbol fizzle out, and soon the zombies fall as dust or remains. Haruko taps her foot as the vespa returns slowly, "Why you…" she gave a slight smile, then hugs it "Aw, never could stay mad! Okay," she leaps on and pulls down her goggles, swinging the guitar like a sword one general would do with orders she screams "he's on the run, let's finish him!"

"…." Amazo points as he follows, "Haruko, it is this way I believe."

"Damn it!" She turns around and blares behind them.

Akaige has made a bit of distance from the others as Willow followed; his newest local was this area with several buildings around them. Here was where he stopped, looked them over, and he seemed to merely look about as Willow found him and grinned grimly, "Now I've got you." Her hands irradiate and her palms release with each swing an energy that shook the ground with their wake. After the blasts registered she slowly landed, nothing out of the ordinary. His cloak and remains lay there for her to inspect, but upon touching the body with her foot she felt no give, she ripped the cape away to find merely rubble left in his place. That is when she is flung by a force from behind; it was like a large boom of air. Another one from her side, she's smack dab in the middle of a street, and more of the booms occur now within the buildings lining the street way. As Willow got up, dazed on her hands and knees, she hears the creaking stone and steel. Her eyes pop up to find hunks of the buildings are missing, slanted slabs to be exact, missing as if to be large trees cut by lumberjacks, to fall on her!

Willow flew up and above the large amounts of debris watching as it collapses in on itself. If she had not moved that mess would have crushed her. That is when she hears the flapping sound of fabric, turning back she had a ball of blackness but the claw latched to her face, pulled her up, and then swung her back down into the debris. The force was making the debris shuffle about as she was buried into it rather than under. Now Akaige lands onto the mountain of rubble, and he glares those cold ethereal eyes at her point in the debris. Willow broke from the debris, only half of her as a foot kicked into her shoulder making her yelp, pushing her into the shifting debris it caved around her lower body now. Willow pulled her one arm out with the intent to use a spell, but a reflex snatch from the one arm is Akaige's human arm latching her wrist and pulling her arm tightly on itself, she screamed as her muscles and bone strained from his own forces baring on her body now. Akaige reached his clawed arm up high with the three talons spread wide. Willow's eyes seemed to realize in their increasing stare what was coming to her fate. The claws in a glint of their own dark desire dangling above in slight reverence, the taste of new blood seemed to make them twain a little. They now began to swing, but stopped short, Akaige's grip on Willow is lost and he is taken in a powerful flying jaw snarling and crunching into his demonic arm. The dark beast was torn into the debris behind and his flesh ripped with continuous clamps of canine chomps. Akaige's arm bleeds wildly as even flesh was mauled; he grabs the dog by the cape and tosses him away. Krypto, lost in the hatred of this monster, now turns back and charges again. Akaige leers upon the assault, pulling his still wounded claw lowly he squats slightly into his knees; Willow pulls to freedom her other arm to look upon the coming crash, then the arm, the swinging of a large clawed hand, the spray of red and shattering yelp of a hound. Willow is widely eyeing the still tossing and turning paws of Krypto caught onto the three claws his own chest and body.

Akaige soon pulls the large claw to the ground to push his foot onto the corpse. Akaige now looked upon the fierce hound still bearing teeth at him; he narrowed his eyes and simply clenched his fist from both hands to soon release several powerful punches to the dogs snarling face. Afterwards, he flips his cape behind himself before turning back to Willow as she is giving a most distasteful glare. "_Silence witch, it's your turn now!"_

However the sound of a motor meant it was not the time. The time it took to capture the witch and brief interruption defeated his plan, but, he did remove the dog so one may take what one may get. His chuckle and a sudden leap, Akaige lands to seem only to disappear into the ground itself. When Haruko and the others arrive she instantly realizes what has happened. Rumors said the bastard got more tricky when he's hurt, a reason most say he's so indestructible is how much he can take in punishment but anything that bleeds can die, and he bleeds. With the loss of Krypto now Haruko just calls to the others, "Okay, this has taken a little turn for the worse. We need to keep riding his coattails, let's go!" But, she turns about asking "So… where'd he go?"

Willow, now exhausted from her beating and the killing just before her eyes, recalls "He disappeared into the ground. I couldn't stop him, he was just…"

"No worries of that, it was quite expected." Amazo speaks in a factitious manner "The odds of all members surviving this ordeal will be much lower than one would have hopped coming into the ordeal." He floats to Haruko as she has tried to smack the ground with her guitar, he then raises a fist to release a blast that causes the ground to cave in, and there is a subway! Covered in darkness Akaige must be riding the shadowy railway as his escape. Haruko follows the direction the tracks make, and her eyes nearly buckle, "Their camp, he's going to get back to his camp!" She turns, fear and lament on her face, "Please, we have to stop him! If we don't this nightmare will get even worse, we can't let him continue like this!" There is now silence, but her words make action. Virgil, or Static Shock, leaps into the subway with his eyes and arms sparking. Using all his static electrical powers he surges the systems of the subway alive and made the lights along them brightly shine. The shadows are now gone even in the tunnels by the sheer power he used, and Akaige's shadow form slowly ripped from the wall as he was left in the light, growling "_This is a surprise, their not half bad for a rag-tag group of misfits."_

The others hop down, Surfer quickly grabbed Static when his body shakily fell to the ground. "I-I'm okay, just woozy from all the power I used up."

Willow looked him over, and then the lights, "Boy, I'll say." She looked at Static again and grabbed his hands, a large flicker of power across her eyes now followed out of her hands and onto Static making him stand tall and look in stunned awe. When he looked to her, she winked with a strut "I'm juiced off dark magic, consider that just a little pick-me up."

Haruko was already ahead of the others, except Amazo who was levitating next to her. "As I mentioned the statistics are poor to not only losses but even any survival in the long run. Taking into account battle experience of this group to the immortal nemesis, power levels when at highest or lowest in collections of my databanks, and the tactical expertise both parties have I find the statistical chances very unfavorable." Haruko gave a glare to him, but he nods "Even if that were the case a chance still exists, that is why we came. Superman would have done the same."

As that was said Haruko snorts, "You know, I always hated the underwear wearing freak, and after what I learned I've got good reason."

"Pardon?"

Haruko looked ahead and snapped back, "Just hurry up we don't have all day!"

Down the subway they came to find Akaige with his back to them, it was puzzling why he just was standing there. Haruko gave a smile, "So, you finally gave up?"

Perched on Akaige's claw was a large crow with sinister red eyes that glared at Haruko and her comrades it's beady little gaze alight with a bloodlust and intelligence that seemed far beyond the range of most birds. Akaige reached up and ran one of his claws along the back of the crow's head who gave a grateful caw before flapping off and into the darkness. As it passed Haruko she could have sworn that it was grinning at her. "If you're calling for backup Akaige, I'm afraid that they won't be coming soon enough to save your sorry ass. This is where it ends." She growled. Akaige however merely leaned up casually against the wall nearest to him, his gaze calm and downright relaxed. _"On the contrary my dear."_ Akaige said examining his claws leisurely. _"It would seem that my backup is already here."_

Haruko didn't so much hear as FEEL the flurry of knives hurtling at her from behind and whirled around at blurring speed swinging her guitar like a shield sending the knives spinning into the shadows, they were only to be caught by a pair of blood red leather gloves. A pair of luminous blood red eyes shone through the shadows like headlights followed by a shrill, warbling cackle sounding like a Hyena in the throes of madness. Out of the darkness stepped a creature that could only be described as the lovechild of the truly talented at the truly insane and deranged. A jet black leather trench coat fitted with straps like a straight jacket housed the figure's tall, but almost scarecrow like physique traveling down it's long legs and almost concealing the pair of black combat boots with curved blades jutting out from the toes making them seem like punk elf shoes. The jacket was partially open revealing what appeared to be a steel plated ribcage that was adorned with bandoliers that crossed the figure's chest in an 'X', each one packed with a startlingly diverse assortment of knives, blades, and other carving instruments as well as a weathered leather belt that held aside from a hip flask various pouches and compartments adorned with a belt buckle in the shape of a grinning skull, a symbol fitting considering that the figure's face was in fact a bleached white mask of a skull carved into a frightful leer of insane glee that was adorned with so many tusks and fangs that had the figure actually had a functioning mouth and lips, rather than a jaw that was on a hinge that squeaked like a mouse that had just been stepped on by a golf shoe, would have carved it's face open every time it tried to make a sound. The figure stopped a few feet away from Haruko, reaching up with a hand covered in blood red leather with metal couplings over the knuckles and sharp edges on the fingertips, and grasped the brim of a beat up purple wide brimmed hat with a rotting peacock feather perched on it and pulled it down slightly in a pseudo-friendly gesture that failed to match the figure's blazing red eyes as they shone out of their hollow sockets like lanterns. Instead of eye lids metal shutters fell and rose giving the eyes the appearance of blinking, all in all it was as though someone had tried to make a serial killer out of a wind up toy and a closet full of old Halloween costumes. Yet there was nothing funny about the foul aura that seemed to wrap around the figure, as well as the crow from before that was now perched on the figure's shoulder. It felt wrong somehow, like the very life force keeping this creature together had died and rotted away long ago leaving only a decayed husk to keep it going.  
"Not bad sweetheart, not bad at all." The figure cackled twirling a knife in its hand absent mindedly. "But I'll still get you my pretty and your little dog too!" At this the figure broke into a monstrously piercing laugh that echoed all around them. Its revelry was rudely interrupted by the crow as it tapped its partner on the shoulder, and gesturing to the group indicating that he had forgotten about them in his one liner. "Oh," The figure said simply doing a quick head count. "And, uh, your little robot, spandex wearing black guy, silver beach bum, and constipated witch chick too, too." The figure said a tad uncertainly. Then, satisfied that it had addressed the entire audience this time he resumed laughing his head off much to the crow's ire, who merely gave his partner a look that somehow managed to make up for the lack of comprehensible vocal cords. Surprisingly, nobody else joined the figure in his moment of not-so-good-humor, except for Akaige who merely arched an eyebrow at the oddly amusing duo that had apparently come to his aid. "_Doesn't he notice the dog is already dead? Here, I thought something fun was about to happen."_ Akaige looked into the air with a roll of his eyes, the menacing demonic entity certainly failed to complete what Akaige was hoping for.

Finally noticing that his talents had failed to bring down the house he blinked a few times. "Uh, too soon?" He ventured. The crow gave a snort which prompted a glare from the figure. "Hey! Don't give me that look Mr. Peckers, I'll have you know I happen to be sober," The figure said haughtily, then as an after thought he opened his mouth and breathed into his hand and sniffed it. "Err, well, sober-ish," He added somewhat sheepishly. It was all Haruko could do to keep from bursting into laughter, if THIS was the best that Akaige could call on to defend himself then obviously things were not nearly as dire as she had first suspected. Then suddenly a rustling sound from behind the figure drew her attention. Looking past the figure her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, an expression of fear on her face mirrored by everyone with her except for Akaige who had a gleam in his eyes like a kid who had just discovered an extra flashy present under the Christmas tree. It was a present he was interested in seeing for quite some time now.

Slithering towards them out of the darkness seeming to flow forth from the very shadows themselves was a monstrous ten headed serpent covered in jagged scales that jutted out like swords. Each snarling fang filled head was adorned in a helmet resembling the headgear of a Japanese Shogun; each one was mounted on a neck the size of a subway car. Its baleful green eyes fixed upon Haruko paralyzing her in its hypnotic gaze. Seeming to think that it was he who had instilled such fear into his prey the figure puffed out his chest in an attempt to look more intimidating. "Ah, so now you're starting to realize who you're up against, eh? Well it's too late to beg for mercy kiddies because none of you shall escape the awesome power of Joka, the corpse herder!" The figure roared breaking into a fresh peal of insane laughter. Mr. Peckers, however, not nearly as oblivious as his partner, managed to notice the gargantuan beast crawling towards them and tapped Joka not so gently on the shoulder with a talon. "Not know Mr. Peckers I'm on a roll." Joka replied relishing the apparently terrifying effect his presence was having on his prey. Finally Mr. Peckers got fed up and started pecking Joka in the head with an angry squawk. "OW, oh, wow, OW! Okay, okay what is it?" Joka snapped. Mr. Peckers pointed past him with his wing the fiend following it until he finally managed to notice the multi-headed behemoth that was writhing forth from the darkness.

At the sight of this Joka let loose a less than awe inspiring girlish scream and ran behind Akaige trembling like a serving of fruit salad in a hurricane. Somehow, Haruko managed to find her voice though her reply was little more than a feeble squeak. Only one being in her mind fit the many heads, and reptilian form… "Tiamat…?" She whispered in disbelief.

The beasts multiple heads looked at each other in mild surprise and burst into a rasping peal of laughter that was somehow even more intimidating than Joka's. "While I'm flattered that you would mistake me for the Queen of Chaos my dear, I'm afraid I am of a far less noble lineage." One of the heads rasped in a voice that sounded as though the figure had not used its vocal cords since the dinosaurs walked the earth. Then before Haruko's very eyes the beast began to change its vast shadowy body shrinking and morphing like putty in the hands of an invisible giant. The heads began to wrap around each other taking on the shape of a human body. Two heads coiled around one another, their heads forming a sort of breastplate as they joined their snouts in a 'V' shape. Four heads coiled a pair of sandaled feet and pale spidery hands sprouting from their open mouths so that the heads formed hand and leg guards, rows of curved blades and spikes jutting out along the edges putting a shame to even the villain known as Shredder. Two of the remaining heads rested their snouts on the developing shoulders of their new body their snouts widening to become spiked shoulder pads. As this went on amidst the nest of writhing heads a face, pale and delicate except for a pair of venomous green eyes with reptilian pupils and long snow white hair tied in a ponytail emerged. Lastly, the last two heads curled around each other forming a double headed staff. Their fangs lengthened and jutted out so that the weapon now resembled a double headed spear. The newly formed figure took the weapon in one pale slender hand and twirled it around with blurring speed before striking the ground with a hearty clang. Before their eyes out of the great beast had stepped a man of breath taking beauty, but had an air of unspoken malevolence which shined in his emerald gaze matching the warm yet predatory smile on his face as he bowed to Akaige. "So sorry I'm late, we had the worst time tracking you down. Orochimaru is now at your service. It's a pleasure to meet you at last Akaige-sama."

"_Likewise."_ Akaige motioned his head down in a nod, then pushed off the wall looking at the still frightened Haruko, "_So my dear what was it you were saying… something about, time being up?"_

"You… bastard…" she had a rage building in her arm making it shake, "why couldn't' you just leave well enough alone?"

Akaige simply moved his arm over to his side and let it hang; pivoting off of his one hip he asked "_Why didn't you do that in the first place? I offered you a chance to escape, but no. You refused me and stayed with that precious brat of yours!"_

"Leave him out of this! He has nothing to do with it this is just between you and me!"

"_Is it?"_ his eyes began to twist wickedly, and his claw seemed to tighten with a little more pleasure, "_Are you sure you don't want to get others, like Naota involved anymore?"_

She didn't realize the trap, nor did Amazo have enough reaction time to stop her, but when she uttered "No, this is just you and me!" Akaige has already whipped his claw around and made the darkness of Haruko's own shadow swallow her whole than disappear. Amazo stood analyzing, and then he turned to Akaige saying "This was your plan all along wasn't it?"

"_Mostly," _he steeped a few paces and looked to Orochimaru, "_Thank you for your assistance Orochimaru. If you wish go and play with these other nuisances I have the one I wanted. They just got in my way, anyway."_

Orochimaru bowed his head, "Of course. I will keep them from interfering with your duel."

"Duel?" Joka, the crazed killer was confused "What is going on?"

Amazo already played out the scenario, "It is obvious Akaige could have turned and separated us all with the same technique he just used, and then killed us separately. However, that was not the challenge he was seeking he instead only wanted the one whom caused the incident. Akaige lured us here, and played us the way he did. By planning to cause the Kagejin to find him once close enough to their camp he obviously would have gave Haruko and ultimatum of letting us all die or her fighting him in a duel, your interference merely forced the duel earlier. You were recorded as quite the artist in pulling strings and making your opponents do what you want, Akaige. You're also recorded as loving a good challenge which I believe you allowing us to follow her made for you and your sick pleasure."

"_Why," _he faked a shocked look and gesture of his hand to his chest, "_how could you say such things about me?" _he then snickered, "_Even if they are true. Well I'm off to kill a certain punk-rocker who has played her last tune. Take care, and do me a favor don't let Orochimaru kill you all too easily I'd hate for him to have wasted that time looking for me!"_

As Akaige disappeared Joka sort of sighed, "Hey, I was here too…"

"Do not worry Joka we have other matters to attend to, I will take the surfer and android, you may have the witch and electrical hero."

"Ooh goody! I was hoping for the ones that bleed." His sick hyena like laugh now came out from combined with unsheathing of knives. Orochimaru swung his weapon around himself several times, and then pointed it on his opponents. Amazo morphed from his hand a mace weapon similar to the one Hawk girl crafted as Surfer was floating on his board, Willow and Static began to create their energy in their hands obviously planning on long ranged attacks similar to what their foe may be planning as his knives were being flipped from hand to hand like a juggling act. It soon became the kind of acts you don't want to be a part of when his daggers were tossed at the heroes, and worse as they dodged them Joka merely pulled back his hands to reveal shimmering lines from them and his knives, the tips of his pointed fingers in truth carried a light line to bring the blades back to him like any marionette. His artistry of such malice began to twine along pipes, rails, and other obscure objects in paths at the two heroes, but later the blades singled out Willow as Static pulled his being farther away from the blades. With that hellish aura his body gave the lines and blades lived, and they wove along their lines from the fingertips of their master. The weaving ends only as Willow backed into the nearly invisible lines, and she then felt her wrists and legs being ensnared. The knives dangle at her body, menacingly, and calmly. They wobble a little, and Joka lets a slight chuckle out of his sickening smile.

Static saw the moment coming, he didn't have much time should he do anything at all. Joka was about to switch the blades in on his prey when they began to move off, not like he ordered. The blades moved through the ways they originally did, letting Willow fall hard on the ground, and then they barrel about through the pipes tugging at their line. Joka is pulling on the lines when they meet their end, and he screams "Why you little… get back here!"

"Sorry, but they got the point!" Joka turned to that black teen with eyes and hands glowing in electrical energy… Static, he was using his energy as a magnetic charge! The blades begin to really pull Joka and he only dug his heels down, pulling back his way he realizes the kid has him snagged. "Why I ought a." He snarls to himself, but Mr. Peckers sees that as a sign of trouble and flies in swooping on Static, making him loose concentration, and Joka pops his cables to loose the knives but deep in his jacket he replaces those ones with two larger knives with thicker blades. His arm is swung up like an uppercut, but the blade is held downward making a slice almost on Static but he's been able to fend off the bird while backing up. Joka makes swing after swing, nearly missing in each. He's laughing a sick laughter when Willow asks "Are these yours?"

Joka turned and found his daggers with the lines coming on him, he glares a wide-eyed stare as they now struck his back and made him fall face first into the ground. Willow is confident that did the demon in, but laughter begins to rise and it becomes evident this one will not fall quickly… or easily.

Orochimaru on the other hand made it evident he was not going to fall at all! He unleashed flurries of his staff weapon, and after the flurries ended and Amazo or Surfer got into his radius they got even a worse beating. Orochi first kicked up off his staff making a vertical handstand of its tip, and then a backhand made Surfer fall onto his own board before it crashed into a wall. Dropping off the stand, Amazo swung his mace. Orochi let the mace hit his weapon, and then he twirled the long shaft making the weapon fall off on the ground. After that he pushed forward the weapon onto Amazo getting him to topple as a long serpent had stretched from Orochi's own body, making him now fall onto the recovering Surfer. Orochi looked back to Joka, and he saw how he was fairing to then feel the shift of energy. Without looking he moved his head out of the way to have the cosmic energy just pass by his face.

Joka let now loose a flurry of knives and daggers at the enemies in front of him. Willow and Static both used short blasts to bounce off the unwanted attacks. It was an endless mess of blades mixing along the air, bolts from magic and mutation. In the sudden flash of lightning Static had an idea, he latched his hands onto the light fixtures and charged a current. The current roared through the light lining and over to Joka, where it shattered and began to electrocute him immensely. Willow saw Joka loose his knives, and she screamed in hate with her dark magic flushing forth in a whisk of black essence to swirl over Joka like he was in a tornado, sparks even jolt as the powers mixed. As it ends Joka has already fell to his knees, his arms shook as he was there causing spasms from the powers. His body then fell on its side, motionless, dead.

Orochimaru has pushed off Amazo and Surfer with a powerful gale he made twirling his staff-weapon like a helicopter. When the realization of the attack got to him he was startled, looking at the sight. Willow took and walked to the fallen fiend to kick him onto his back, she then smiled as he didn't breathe "Got him!"

Then, the eyes burn red, she was standing over him and a mechanized gear-like sound came from his chest. Joke pointed up his arms and sure enough two daggers anchored into the ceiling, raised him up and hanging. There, he swung his legs around her head; Willow screamed and yelled as his legs tied around her skull. Joka now yanked out the two knives he used as anchors and twirled their blades down. His smile could be seen as more sadistic in that moment as he rose up the knives then swung them down, into the object between his legs. For a moment Willow tumbled back, but Joka hopped off and pulled back out his two knives to put them out at his sides, a quick swipe across the front of himself as she fell on the ground dead and he leers on Static.

Static was startled, she was dead… he saw her just die there, she DIED! He was so lost in it that Joka stalking over slowly made him freeze, but a golden aura surrounded the three heroes blocking Joka and Orochimaru. Amazo made the field in intent to keep the villains out he did not expect Static to actually try to break the field down! "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to kill that joker!"

"Joka, the name is J-O-K-A." Joka chuckled as Orochi placed a hand onto the field, "Impressive energy you have android."

"We're leaving our mission failed. Akaige survived and we lost three members."

"You mean…" Surfer looked confused, but Amazo merely stated "It is just as well, she could not survive a battle with Akaige alone."

The three disappeared, and Orochi looked to Joka who was now intent on his pet, Mr. Peckers, now beginning to peck at the eyes of the fallen witch "We're leaving to the Kagejin camp. Akaige will be there shortly I do believe."

"He killed her already?"

"No, but it is a matter of time. I'm sure of it."

* * *

When Haruko realized her predicament she soon became worried, but her confidence came back in a flash, coincidentally so did Akaige. "_I offered you several chances my dear. Why you refused them is beyond me, so let's fin…"_ a vespa slammed into Akaige launching him across the ground, he slowly bent up at the waist like some vampire in the old videos would, but less menacing more angry, "_right, time to die!"_

Haruko now ran the vespa at Akaige again, but she leapt off of it as it rode to arch into the air. Brandishing her guitar, Haruko swung the guitar around her head several times. It made an unusual golden halo that she then slammed the guitar into her side, the halo now jolting to the front of the guitar. As she played several powerful notes the halo sparked itself along the notes making them pick up in power into the ground, where their ferocity made geysers of dirt and dust sprout out in contact. Akaige was leaping between these powerful blasts, hopping now into a kneel where he collected a blackened energy into his own hand. Kicking off, he was on a direct course with Haruko with the black energy over his hand and pointed on her. Haruko now fired off some more of her blasts, but she realized the black aura was a shield! Her blasts just rolled off it and to the ground, letting the full force of Akaige's punch strike her as they were both in air and he connected with the other arm in a swing.

Haruko sternly planted her foot in the dirt after the strike to her jaw. With that determination she turned on the attacker. However, they swung the same punch this time making her completely fall back off on their own back. Lying there, sprawled, Haruko raised the tip of her guitar and struck several chords. The music followed through striking her opponent, Akaige lost his stalking movements for a moment but eventually the music had not the effect she hoped. Akaige's claw began to widen up as he pushed against the sound waves, breaking upon dirt with his heels before adjusting to the opposing force he merely walked it back towards her. Haruko tried stronger notes, strokes, but they too only make a slight shifting before steady approach of the demon. She looked back to her vespa, a grin it has begun coming to her in a speeded charge. Stopping the music, she raised a free hand to grab one handle and swings herself back up onto the bike. She was only able to get some distance before the vespa jumps up to a stop, her head bending down and forward at the handles. The sound of whipping fabric and she slowly looked up, noticing the cape falling around a little. Akaige stood with his foot on the front of the vespa, but the opposite foot came in on her even if she blocked with her guitar she began dismounting and making distance between them both. Akaige's eyes showed through the anger he had at this moment. A quick grip of the bike and he tossed it off like a piece of garbage. Haruko was trying to decide what to do as he came stalking over, it was stalking that pissed her off he just wanted to make her so afraid it kind of made her even more angry.

Haruko began swinging away at the dark entity with her guitar like mad. Eventually, he just seemed to be sick of it and grabbed the weapon yanking it from her grip all together. Without the guitar or vespa, she launched her fists but this warranted the following pain. First out he swung a punch to the stomach, followed with a kick to the same spot making her coil back. The large claw clasped over her face and smashed her back-skull into the ground, hard, and then kept putting pressure as it held to her. After it was done, Akaige latched onto her scarf and pulled it tightly, strangling her, but only before tossing her away over his side-shoulder into the ground where she coughs and rolled into a fetal position.

Akaige now walked to her, the pitiful form she now was. His leg flung a kick to her ribs making her roll in a trail of dirt, "_Why?"_ he asked as she now pushed her arm under herself to give balance since she raised a half swollen eye to the one who was beating her, "_Why did you refuse my offer? I found it very unlikely of one like yourself to ignore it. You were a loner, a self-absorbed girl. Why did you actually put your neck out for something you know you could not have, for him?"_

"You don't know how it feels you monster!" Haruko tried to charge, but a simple backhand and she spirals to the ground. A gagging cough as she was sprawled out on her chest but shakily pressing off the ground with her now tiring arms, she is no where near the fighter type. "All you damn monsters do is kill and hunger for power! I can't let him be surrounded by your world, and your damn nightmarish plans."

"_Hmm, a fitting point perhaps. Tell me what do you know of me? A demon, lord of a dark empire, somewhat sadistic and powerful beyond most normal comprehension thanks to years of combat and natural talent." _Akaige who had been walking around her in a circle now stopped to her front and made a gesture, "_Yet there is more to this matter than what you know my dear."_

"_My father Naimusheshka was a slave to the wish for power, the same wish you claim I follow. His dreams and admirations even followed the great Trigon's shadow! Why, my father even went as far as to mimic the look, style, plans, and yes even name, he took the surname of Trigon in his new title Trigonaimus. These petty powers were always taking from my father's greatness. He even made me to be a slave, a killer for his enemies in the mortal world he tormented and loomed over."_

"He got that well enough didn't he?" She growled into her teeth, and Akaige looked to her blankly before going back to his story…

"_No denial on that point my dear. However, in the time he made those mistakes as did Trigon eventually the greatest was my freedom. In the time Naimusheshka was trapped in the scum's own personal hell, I took and found a form of freedom, the freedom to hunt and kill all whom I chose to take. At first, I slaughtered mindlessly and in some sense foolishly." _The dark lord took a moment, and reflected on that. The curvature of his eyes was slightly distraught, but in a moment they became excited, "_Then, I met my first Ronin, a wandering swordsmen from my elder world's Japan. Their kind was like myself seeking a place in a world ill begotten from their art of killing. The time I spent after that was hunting more of these swordsmen, Ronin and even full-fledged Samurai. The land was my own to hunt, these whom in time I called 'Juubun Ejiki' which translates to 'Perfect Prey, or Satisfactory Victims'. You now what these 'Juubun Ejiki' consist of?"_

"You think I care?"

Akaige is silent; a sigh soon escapes his haggard wound still bleeding from the throat. "_It is not important I suppose. Either way, the time came and Naimusheshka called me back. I knew I would just be slave to his sad ordeals, and pitiful plots. I decided to wait, and in the time needed let all come to pass especially his fall. Unfortunately, I was the one who took his place as lord of Kagejin. It was a curse to me, at first. Then I soon realized the similarities to them and myself. For longer than even I, the Kagejin were slave to Naimusheshka, and they knew not the great joy freedom like mine was, so I showed them. That was the beginning of that you call, death sessions." _Akaige looked out to the distance, where drums are heard slightly and minor roars of bloodlust, "_You claim that I seek this for power? No, little one, this is not at all for me this is for us," _his form turned to her now wavering eyes, and frightened form as his arms reached to the distance in resolution of his claim, "_we are Kagejin."_

Haruko is silently shaking in fear as the dark beast was coming toward her, "Yo-you will be stopped!"

"_Yes, that's always possible. However I doubt you will be the one to cause it." _He then tossed the guitar to Haruko, and then walked off, away from her? "_You're free to go little one."_

"What? Why didn't you kill me?"

"_Well, you did bring the kryptonian canine to me, I would have had to kill him sooner or later and you saved me the hassle of his attacking my future camps anytime soon. Then, your attempts did serve to remove the remnant of rage I had with Trigon's ignorance. All in all you did me much more good than harm, so I guess I'll be lenient and see if you can do me any more good later down the road." _He made a bow as she felt tears on her face, kicking out the stand on her vespa and fluttering off into the sky he chuckled. Orochimaru and Joka also saw the events. As Mr. Peckers was looking in disbelief Joka asks "What was that all about?"

"I also would like to understand your reasons for this."

Akaige turned, and glared by them "_Her attack may have been meaningless in one sense, but the meaning was truer by another. The only reason she would have chanced all for that attack is something she knew, and I suspected for a long time now. Why else would the Trinity allow me, a demon, take claim of a world as I have done? There is something else here, sadly, more evil than I. I know it is not En Sabah Nur, but whatever it is…."

* * *

_

"It is the greatest power, from whence all things have ever seen!" screamed the unfamiliarly mad voice of this crazed primate. His laughter followed the metallic walls and echoed hall after hall. His skin was green, covered in black fur, and he wore a purple vest with white gloves and boots. This man like ape now laughed even more as his cape flapped behind him and that unusual fish-bowl over his top skull glistened in the lights of the lab. "Yes, after weeks of recalibrating and fine tuning, I, the great, the nefarious and all-out evil Mojo-JO-JO, have completed…"

"A big ring for playing Magic-The Gathering." Said the slightly overweight teenage boy with a brown coat and long orange mangled hair, along with a large mono-brow. "It's not that big a deal banana-boy."

"Aw-see! You ruined my evil monologue, what the hell did I do to give you reason to ruin that, which is ruined, for you decided to ruin the works I was upon gloating over for exasperated patience taken into the making of…"

"GOD, does it have an off switch?" Another figure was saying as they jumped into the large machine's other side, a platform raised him to view over the large arena with round balls along its sides projecting the image of a rainbow like arena, but as he set down his deck of cards into the dispenser at his side the side he was on turned to a set of water and swamp like area. "Whoa, not bad monkey-man!"

"Argh, you did it AGAIN! How am I, evil genius, Mojo-Jo-Jo going too…?"

"He sure loves the sound of his own voice, doesn't he?" this figure was slightly overweight and in a large white overcoat. His hair is mostly a collection of strands in one S swirl over his top skull, and a patch along the back. His goggles were green, and at some times they shined from the mischievous leer he gave. The overweight scientist also had his coat's collar buttoned over his mouth and soon the man jumped into his own platform, with the utterance of words token to him and him alone, "Bata-BOOM!"

"What?" The other one across from him now raised a brow. His orange hair was flared out from his own white coat. Having a high IQ for his age, this man wore a set of gray goggles that he now raised up onto his forehead, and in a quirky smile he asked "You really want to do this Bata-Boom?"

"The question should be squirt; do you really want to mess with your elders? I know you think you're all that, and your "God" will help you." At this the orange haired man gave a scowl as he clasped a cross at his neck, "However, this is the real world and kids need to learn their not invincible, Professor."

"That's Professor Curly you overweight mole! Now let's get this show on the road!"

"What an exciting day," spoke the teen with the mono-brow, "for a competition of this kind. I'm your host the master of monster, terror of the televised, and cruncher of couch potato mischief, Control Freak!" he then points to Mojo-jo-jo, "As well my co anchor Mojo-Jo-Jo the talking monkey! I mean, how cool is that he actually talks!"

"Your stupidity brings me to question why they brought you to this organization in the first place any how. Never-Ending Revolutionary Ventures was not supposed to bring imbeciles into their program."

"How many times have you made a device that can break the boundaries between time and space, make fiction to reality, and cause all sorts of hell with the simple accessories of an home-town garage?"

He was silent, and so Control Freak screamed "Ha! In your face simple-simian!" to that Mojo scratched his face and Control Freak fell into his chair screaming "You damn dirty ape!"

"I do not have patience for this; I could be inventing or devising new means to be given new measures of monetary gain from the commander!"

"Chill…" Control Freak looked over to see Professor Curly now using his cards to call some small water snakes, while Bata-Boom went to making a collection of goblins and trolls with his mountain and plains decks. "Their getting heavy. We should be telling our viewers about the game."

"What viewers? We are alone here! You are a complete imbecile!"

"Oh? Well, then…" with that Control Freak popped his remote and clicked a button; a collection of people in stands began clapping and rooting to the action. "See now we have viewers!"

"…." Mojo just shook his head "Idiots, you are all idiots. I still find the arena a waste of my fabulous talents."

"Look around monkey-boy; we have little else to look forward to. We're in a secret lab, on a secret island with secret military funding and support working with secret projects for secret causes. Why do you think we're looking for any means to keep our sanity? This is just another way to keep the crazies at bay…" Control Freak saw a large explosion, "Whoa, Bata-Boom used a fire-ball spell!"

"I understand this very well. I merely find this place, NERV, very taxing of my patience. Not too mention Commander Gendo Ikari is just down right… strange."

"This, from a talking monkey…"

"Mark my words this NERV group, is committing unnatural if not down-right dangerous experiments."

"Why are you helping them then?" ControlF asked, and Mojo gave a sinister grin, "I'm an evil genius, pay me the right amount and I'd help any maniac."

Just then, a loud clamor is heard from above. That was when they saw the holograms showing Bata-Boom had taken a chunk from Professor C's life points, from 20 points down to 18, he gloated over the victory. "You see that boy! You can't beat this evil mack-daddy!" he let out a sinister laugh and clacked his heels into the air but the professor had a tactical genius all his own.

With a smile, and draw, he laid down a card that made Bata-boom watch as the seas grew wide and large, and soon a horrendous watery funnel arose up from the deep like a whale and serpent had made from the tides. After that, the beast swallowed two islands within the sea, and charged smashing the monster it was sent to attack, the same monster that had attacked the fine professor, and it took from the power a shockwave that hit Bata-Boom just as hard. "Let's see, your Shivan Fired Dragon had an attack power of 5, and my monster had an attack power of… 10?" Bata-Boom grimaced at his LP turned to 15, "Well, that was a pretty nice hit wasn't it?"

"Wh-what the hell was that?"

"That was Leviathan, the most powerful water-monster in my lovely deck. His power comes at a price though, each time he attacks he takes two islands in sacrifice leaving my pools a little depleted. Still, he's useful… because, you don't have anything that can defeat him in defense!" and then he snapped his fingers, "Oh, and those untapped lands over there… yeah, I'll now use… this!" and with that a spell circle was made covering Leviathan in a barrier, "So, with Spell Negation Circle no spell cards will give Leviathan an instant kill for the next turn, your turn!"

Bata-Boom gave a glare through his goggles, which to that he began to ponder his next move. He knew what he needed, Mageta the Lion, he would blow apart the field and leave nothing, not even his own monsters, just himself. With that even Leviathan would be screwed… just needed to draw that card… "Ah-ha… wait, son of a… oh well, here!" he played a lion that glowed, "Mine Bearer will do some good… I hope."

Professor C looked to his deck, and pulled another card, a smile of intellect and precision came on him as he played the new card, "About time, so here it goes! First, the circle falls…" which it did, "Next, I use Recalling Rasp!" this card made the Leviathan submerge, and return to the professor's hand "After that I use the spell Hand of Death, which removes your kamikaze looser!" a ghastly hand came from nothingness and took the very life of the bomb-carrying man before disappearing, "Then, I use my lands to summon one more monster…" with that the arena got darker, and black depths of smog covered the area. A pair of green eyes glow in the darkness, and a loud sound of armor clanking is heard. Soon, a horrendous demon looking man came, he had the darkest armor and flesh, and standing tall he looked at the opponent with no remorse. The field is clear of other monsters, and Bata-Boom knew he was going to get hit but luckily his opponent only had 6 attack and 4 defense points, "He's not so menacing, alone. However, this is the legendary demon-warrior Volrath the Fallen, and his power is to take one card from my hand and add their powers to his for one turn, at the loss of two land cards… fitting, really." He smirked, as his card of choice was Leviathan, and adding its power to Volrath soon the dark fiend took on a power level of 16/14, and in his hellish attack well… Bata-Boom lost. Professor C laughed in mirth, but then his podium exploded. Bata-Boom tossed his explosives as soon the Professor did the same in return.

"I thought you said if I made it, they wouldn't do this!" Mojo hid under a table, as ControlF screamed "I thought they would, guess I was wrong!"

The two explosion-prone scientists tossed toy after toy, explosive after explosive, but it is the scream of a deep woman's voice that made them stop, "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!!!"

The two stop, and they look to the woman with the perfect body and chest, perfect face and red eyes, and perfect lavender hair as she glared them down for the incomprehensible behavior. She's called 'Major' but in reality, she could be called Aphrodite with that body. She only wore a no strap leotard, with no trousers to cover the lower skimpy parts, and a leather jacket over it showing the strong attitude she sported. She moved with a strong power, common with her attitude, and she then gave the death-glare making even these two maniacs stop their feud. "I told you two that we have no need for hot-heads, so if you don't knock it off I'll have to put a stop to this permanently!"

"Major, we were just…" Professor C was interrupted as Bata-Boom screamed "He made me do it!"

The Major rolled her eyes as they acted this way, for men. She was in truth a bio-construct, her body completely made from machinery and bio-technology. She had a weak body at birth but science gave her a new chance. Of course, the machines came at the price of her innocence, she became a child-assassin for Japan and in time as she was given upgrades her new task was Section Nine, the most recognized information-tactics group ever. She led them, even if she was nothing more than a ghost living in a cyber-body, a ghost in a shell. The Major took a moment to relax herself, and soon she heard the two settling down. After that she walked past them, and she simply followed down the halls, but stopped to see Curly's necklace, "You know," he looked to her, "If Gendo sees that he'll have your head you know how he hates any religious items or practices on base."

"Gendo can pry my beliefs from my cold, dead hands!"

She smirked, and shrugged her sort of way, "You might want to reconsider. I'd hate for something to happen to you, kid." She now left and heard them squabbling again. It was kind of aggravating to say the least. She was once part of the Section 9 group that kept techno-terrorism to a minimum in Japan, but now she was redirected to this place on the former Kaiju Island. This city was built rather quickly with the combined scientific minds gathered here. Gendo set it all up after stopping something called the 'First Impact' from happening, though she knew little on it. He was a strong man, very secretive and quiet, but in all his command was absolute. She now entered the main hangar, where she saw the large muscular man with mechanical eyes, and a white ponytail. "Batou, what are you doing?"

He turned, smiled, and showed the weights he was lifting "What do you think?"

"You're wasting the time you have with that. You know you can't grow muscular appendages now that you're a bio-mechanized human."

"Eh, I just like to show off my strength for the ladies, you like it right girls?"

To that blue spider like machines scream in hoots and whistles, he smiled as these mechanized tanks played along for him. They are called the Tachikoma, and even now their innocent nature played as they asked questions of the way Batou showed his arms off, and posed his body for them. The Major gave a glare, he stopped, and the Tachikoma all Ooh as she dragged Batou out of the room. Outside in the next hall, the Major asked "What are you doing?"

"Just…"

"I meant with the Tachikoma! Their not supposed to revel in your ego, their weapons."

"Hey relax their still doing the job. Besides, we haven't had to work for a while now, nothing has happened has it?" he now became worried, she looked at him and shook her head so he went back to the stubborn smile "Alright then, if you'll excuse me Major I have some fans to see." To that he re-entered the facility and began to show off again with standing evaluations. She now lowered her head, and smiled "That stubborn…" she looked to her side to see Commander Ikari walking down the halls with his personal guard, and some other guy she never saw before. When she came closer to investigate the commander turned, and smiled "Well what a surprise. If you were curious all you needed to do was ask about our guest."

The Major nodded, "Sorry sir, I was just…"

"Not at all." The commander wore glasses, and he had short unkempt hair and a beard the same. He had a black uniform, with golden medals and buttons showing his rank as the commander of this facility. "This is Nick Fury, SHIELD operative, he was brought here after a small mistake with the man he was supposed to bring here escaped, he came personally to explain the situation I figured he could enjoy a showing of the facility."

"Is that wise sir? He's not part of the personnel."

The man with Ikari smiled at the Commander, "Well, I understand the mistrust but really I can't stay long so could we please hurry this up? I need to return to SHIELD."

The guard had chuckled, and Fury looked to him questioningly, Ikari more was angered by the unnecessary moment. "I agree, well then follow me." He stopped though, "Oh, is there anything else Major?"

"No sir… good bye sir." She made a bow and left, then as they were gone she looked to the left in the nook next to her, "So, what was that all about?" she then walked off to her own matters. The three men entered to another room and this was a large bay for something on the opposite walls of the catwalk they were on. Fury looked, and he stopped dead in his tracks. "What in the…"

His eyes saw three large robots, slender and covered only slightly in armor. It was nothing he ever saw in his time, they were ahead of the curve with their technology. The first one was a large light blue robot, with one eye. The middle one was purple, with two eyes, and block like metal teeth in a jaw. The final, third one, was a red machine with a single eye. They each were slender and so well designed it was impressive, but frightening.

"Their called Evangelion, Mr. Fury." Gendo smiled at the three machines, "They are the most powerful robotic weapons we have on the island, and serve as protection." He looked to Fury who was going to ask a question, one Gendo already knew was coming, "Anything that comes against this island, is what we protect ourselves with these robots."

Fury had to admit, that's some prime-case protection. However, who could pilot such machinery? To answer he saw three plugs pop out from the base of the robots necks, and then lifts rose to the sides of each. As unexpected the scene had been, the sight of young teenagers as these pilots was perhaps the most bizarre of things yet! "Ar-are you telling me those kids are…"

"They are the pilots of the Evangelion, if you'd like I'll introduce you to them Mr. Fury."

Nick was still kind of speechless as he followed along, children; children were piloting some of the most advanced weapons he's seen in his career. He was now wondering if Trask was here working on the Sentinels, or this. As they took an open-rung elevator to the next catwalk and platforms underneath, they got off to pop in behind a woman with a red leather vest, a dress that came to the mid upper thigh, and her long purple/blue hair was bouncy in a sense. When the Commander made a vocal of his presence, she turned to show her great figure, and a silver cross that hung low down her neck. She made a bow, and then salute, "Commander Ikari, Captain Misato Katsuragi wishing to say a pleasure to meet you sir. The two new pilots, Shinji and Asuka, have great potential as you expected and proved quite formidable in the simulation."

"Good," Ikari turned his head to Fury showing his pilots off, "This first young girl is Rei Ayanami, the first child for Evangelion Unit 00, and a very skilled pilot." This young girl is 14; she had an almost white/pale blue skin tight suit of techno-armor and pale blue hair. Her eyes were red in color and she looked very serious, if not almost unattached. "This second child, pilot of Evangelion Unit 01, is called Shinji Ikari." The blatantly unattached greeting made this meek boy sort of cringe, he wore the same kind of armor, but the legs and arms are darker than the chest, glove, and boot along with pelvis areas. His hair is short and combed in a part to the side, almost too normal a face for a pilot. He gave a nod, a respectful young man, and then he turned to Commander Ikari but he already moved to the next pilot. "Then, the third child, pilot of Unit 02, is Asuka Soryu Langley. She too has the skills necessary to wield the Evangelion system's interface." She had long orange hair, brown eyes, and her slight shift off the hips indicates an attitude… a big one. Her red outfit was very much like the others, armor like and matching her robot. She gave a look to Fury very scrupulous, but soon she just sighed while turning away from him and putting her hands behind her head, he bored her.

Fury is still pretty confused, but he gave a slight smile to them as a sign he was impressed, "You kids are doing a fine job, keep up the good work."

"Sure thing, old man." Asuka said in an attempt to get someone riled, and she is soon reprimanded by Misato. Rei took the time to try and leave, as Shinji also took a step toward Commander Ikari but he turned, and asked "If you wouldn't mind Mr. Fury we still have things to take care of."

"Oh, sure." He followed seeing the hurt expression on Shinji's face.

"Shinji?" The young boy turned to the woman, Captain Misato, "Are you okay?"

"After all this time he just…" his face was very hurt, and so hers got the same way. However, Asuka popped in asking "Hey? Where am I supposed to sleep? I mean, I get my own place don't I?"

"Oh, that's right! I was looking into it earlier and I came up with an idea, after the train ride with you Shinji. Um, here…" she grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down an address for each of them "Take a cab to this address and you'll have first-class accommodations! Trust me, the best of the best for you!"

"What about Rei?" Shinji was now looking at the young girl Rei who sat in silence at the side, off the banister she was slightly pivoting, "She has anywhere to stay?"

"Ooh, Shinji likes the silent but creepy type, never would have guessed that." Asuka gave a furl of her brow as he became red, "Aw, Shinji, never peeled your peach have you?"  
"Wh-what?" he is blood red as she giggled, and Misato just shook her head, "Aw calm down its not too normal, but kind of cute a guy actually gets embarrassed about something like that in this day and age."

"Shut up Asuka." The teen now became huffy, but complied. "Rei has an apartment of her own, given to her by Ikari himself. I figured since you two are under my training I should set you up as well." Shinji looked to the distant girl, and as she looked to him out of the corner of her eye he blushed and tried to look away, she then turned to her Eva and the group began to talk over strategy, and other matters pertaining to their work.

* * *

The office of Commander Ikari. It was nice to some degree and above-ground unlike the rest of the NERV facility. Outside the window Fury looked over the large city, who would think a city was hidden on this island? The city had been built in record time from accumulated money through secret channels, and the scientific genius of many acquired minds. NERV is house to countless men of the mind, a genuine society think-tank some would call it. Even so it is Gendo who for the most knowledge controlled this facility and all within it, but how he got the funds and resources a lot of people still wonder. Nick Fury sat in one chair, and he looked over to see Gendo now pouring two glasses, "Would you care for something to drink?" 

"Nope, and don't offer me the cigars their not my brand." Nick pulled out his own cigar from his coat, as he previously noted the cigars at the one side. "So, I figure you didn't call me here for some run of the mill deal, what is it?"

"Well Mr. Fury I'll be as low-key on the points as I may. For some time now the first impact was prevented, and thanks to those like Superman we were able to remove the creature that would have caused it, Atomsk." Fury nods, "However, NERV stays ever vigilant with its programs such as the Sentinel, and Evangelion work you have seen today. That is because there was more to Atomsk than you ever realized. Atomsk was in fact sent on a mission to cause the First Impact, thereby allowing a powerful mutant called En Sabah Nur to begin his reign over our world. Only through the help of a time traveler called Bishop did we have the knowledge to stop this matter several years before it ever occurred, around perhaps 10 or 12 years I could say we were working to not only stop Atomsk, but any threat from a being like him on behalf of the ones who sent him originally."

"Really? Wow… that's news to me. So, just what exactly sent him in the first place?"

Gendo looked sternly at the man Fury, "There is only one force that has the power to call such an attack, one force that will be able to decide the very survival of an entire race blinked-out in a flash, one force that can choose…" his hand stretched to hold a picture of a woman and her son, his wife… "Yes, one force that can take our loved ones with illness, age, and any other type of "natural" selection it damn well chooses."

Fury, struck with the idea and sentiment in those words, was wide eyed he asked "Do you mean you want to wage a war with, oh my god…"

A smile came upon Ikari's face, "Yes, Mr. Fury. That is exactly the force I'm talking about."

* * *

Titan, the green skinned culmination of the other four titans, stood between Raven and her two protectors Slade and Terra, and the strange teenage monkey-tailed alien Vegeta with his older bald friend Nappa, "Your evil will not go unpunished… wait, who said that corny line?" Titan looked about itself, and Beast Boy whispers "Sorry, it sounded kind of cool in our head… or is it heads?" 

Nappa cracked his knuckles as he saw what had happened to Raditz, "Okay, what you did warrants a top-grade but whooping! Say hello, to, NAPPA!!!" He screamed before charging at them with his fists cocked. Titan merely dodged, the first punch, then the second, and along came the flurries which Titan blocked in forearm and palm blocks. It was fast, kind of cool in a way, but it seemed silly when Nappa got bitch-slapped across the face and skid to a halt only to jump up, scream an alien obscenity that Starfire knew, and then be stopped with Vegeta swinging his arm out between them both. "Enough Nappa, we don't have time!"

"Your time is of no importance, the battle will end when we are victor!"

"Why…" Nappa grinds his teeth but Vegeta just gave a glare, and sighing Nappa submits. Vegeta now took to the one called Titan and asks "You really want to fight? To protect your friend?" They nodded, and he smirked "Look, we're not the bad guys, and then again we're not good either. However that girl has the power to defeat Frieza I heard it myself when he was talking over the communicator. He's a ruthless monster, bent on having the universe under his control. I, on the other hand, think the universe would be better with me as its unquestioned master. If we let him kill the girl I will loose the one chance to get that freak once and for all, you have to help me move her to somewhere else!"

"What?" Titan was not confused from what he said but what he wanted, then they gave it more thought and smiled "Oh, you are a friend? Then we must inform you of the situation that friend Raven is in meditative training, and may not be removed until it is completed."

"Just great, while that happens they'll get here!" Titan would have asked who, but the answer came in loud screaming not menacing, just a rolling collection of three voices followed by five streaking colors across the temple's walls. When they stopped, five men of five sizes stood in one place, screaming, and kicking up their legs in a still running like pose. It was like a choreographed session from some workout video, especially as they now started making separate stances, one their own surrounding the central figure. The tallest one was a blue alien like a man reptile, with a rounded head and red eyes, "BURTER!" he screamed, next is the second largest a human looking fellow but so bulked and with spiky platform hair he screams, "RECOOME!" the smallest one now took his pose, he had a toad like look with two normal eyes, but another set were where his ears should have been, "GOULDO!" then the second smallest, an orange/red skinned fellow with long white hair screaming as he flashed off his feminine hair, "WOW, I'M JEICE!" then, the last one is the mid way and mid part of their stance group, he was purple skin and had veins over his bald head, it was bulged where the two hemispheres of the brain seemed to develop the casing of his head, and two black horns also took their spot at the tip of his head as well, "Hoo-hah, CAPTAIN GINYU!!! And together, we are…" they scream unison, "THE GINYU FORCE!!!"

However, then the one Jeice whipped his hair which blinded Burter, he fell grabbing Recoome on the shoulder which made him kick Gouldo into the air and back onto Jeice, which then as the four fell they took their leader Ginyu with them. The aftermath as the dust cleared, the five were on their backs onto of one another, dizzy, and finally Ginyu moans "Take five… boys…"

* * *

New York has gone thru so much lately, between the horrific destruction and even a massive botched escape plan only more could probably be on the way. As the levels of emotion rise with the imminent last chance escape from Doctor Doom, people begin to huddle into groups planning their own means of escape. In the main observatory all the heroes not in the main-stream of civilians were talking about ideas. Their second shield was now up and as it was on the Kagejin let any strong demon smash into it at will. The impacts made the shield loose more and more power, especially strange ones that were like tanks with spider legs and long noses. They were very nervous with their voices mixing in yelling and screaming, even Mr. Fantastic tried to over voice the others. It was now a contest, and one voice put them all to their normal tones with… 

"GHOST!" a beam fired as Slimer screamed and flew under a table, to that Egon slams a cane over Jack's thigh, "Oops, force of habit, my bad."

Fantastic gave a sigh "Look, we all are tired so maybe we should take a few minutes and regroup."

Rorek was now entering the discussion, "Sadly, that is a commodity we are without Mr. Fantastic. We must have a plan of action, the field will fall soon and Victor Doom's ships will be coming any moment. Without a plan more lives will be lost, and our forces will be decimated more horridly than even before. We can not leave this up any longer, a plan must be made!"

There was now arguing, again, but young Ben 10 was looking at the picture showing them trapped in a circle, the field, and the Kagejin outside of it. He was only musing to himself, but, "It's too bad we can't trap them in a bubble like we are too."

This hit Mr. Fantastic in the head, he looked in stunned awe before silencing everyone, "What did you say Ben?"

"I, uh, said too bad we can't trap those guys in a bubble too."

Mr. Fantastic grabbed his chin, smiled, and said "Is Storm strong enough to create a real storm, with a fog covering several blocks around the tower?"

Magneto thought over it, and then he said "I believe so but she will be quite drained after so much."

"I understand, but she can do it?" Magneto nods, "Alright, just what all did Iron Man bring in his truck?"

No one knew, so they went to find the man of Iron, "Well here's to the last ditch effort, huddle up and listen because we won't have time to do anything else! The shield is close to being drained, we have to go NOW!"

* * *

The main camp to the Kagejin and within it is the main tent to the Kagejin. As fires burn outside and demons banter on, the surprise is the main tent also has four laughing forms. Akaige at the head of his table laughs in his sinister fashion with joy, as Gaikotsu laughed so hard and deep he fell off his own chair. Joka, the strange necromancer, was squealing in his delight as Orochimaru let his hands slam the table before wiping away a tear, he then composed himself to continue saying, "Oh, where was I?" 

"_Hmm?" _Akaige looked at the serpent lord, Orochi, and said "_Ah yes! You and Zeruge revealed you were demons to the emperor before he chopped off your heads, and you first scared him but you found out about his mass guard reserves, and so you escaped the throne room…"_

"Yes, yes that's right! We left the throne room and now the human guards are on alert. We had to hide, so we jump into some large vases to loose them. Unfortunately, this was not a normal room it was in fact where they kept their… err, waste, until it could be disposed of fully."

There is bellow us laughter as the image hit them all, poor Gaikotsu had just got to his chair when he heard this and fell again. "Well we waited in the jars, until they finally disposed of them that later night." There is a chuckle and snicker, "Then Zeruge said, "I think we should not visit the emperor, he has too much cleaning to do!" and then laughter ensued, it was infectious as Sinister also had entered the tent. When Akaige saw him he asked "Well, what is it?"

"Then reserve shield is very low now. You wanted me to let you know when the time came, remember."

Akaige gave a nod, and a hint of excitement was in his voice as he stood up saying "_Their time is up, finally."_

Orochimaru stood too, and he made a bow "Lord Akaige," Akaige gave a sudden swing back, "I was going to only let Joka fight, but after tonight I was wondering if perhaps my assistance in the battle would be acceptable?"

"_Oh why of course, of course, the more the deadlier I say!" _He walked outside and took his mount of Serpentine, it stretched down as Orochimaru came out giving a hiss, the way Orochimaru just pet the creature and its pleased hiss made Akaige just raise a brow, "_Odd, Serpentine is not one to act so casually with strangers."_

"Yes, well I do have a close family relationship with snakes."

Akaige gave a nod before pulling on Serpentine's scales, making it bend up again. Far ahead the dark lord saw his people standing in formations, ranking up as ordered by superior officers. Gordaio, the large demon had a huge bone club over his shoulder, a grin of his fangs and he pulled the tether of the large reptilian beast he rode on. Kireshk, the handsome demon with imperial clothing now pulled the tether of his beast but it pulled, he had a hell of a time getting on. Gordaio grabbed Kireshk by the scruff and tossed him onto the large reptilian beast, and said "You need to show some respect, Kireshk. They are your brothers and sisters no matter the place within the empire."

"I loathe the idea I should be in combat like this. I am a regional lord, not a combatant!"

"Bah, you whine like a whelpling! Just enjoy the bloodshed my friend!"

Kireshk turned hate towards Gordaio, but he then saw Lady Lokio her reptilian body of blue glistening in the faint lights. She rode a creature more like a reptilian bird, with a long narrow beak and wings over its front arms it walked with the wings curled in. The head had plumes, blue like the bird creature, and as it walked its long tail with a sharp spade swung in a slight stride. She gave a look to the two male generals, and then she kicked the creature's sides to have it open the wings and fly toward her men. Gordaio gave a nod, "Alright, time to get in position whelpling. I'll watch your backside so don't you worry."

"Stop your petty indulgence; just because you've been in battle before means nothing to my views."

Gordaio just laughed, "Youth, how I miss it!"

The ranks pulled into position and more they ready for the moment to come. As the field flickered, their tongues, claws, fangs, and eyes react with anticipation, they became blind. A large fog soon covered their camp and the tower, it was all gone! Akaige screamed to the area, "_Form your ranks, do not move until I say so!"_ they did as told, and he began to think, quickly. Only one being could do this, and she was there in the fortress but she must have gone outside to use the power like this "_Storm, you weather witch I should have known they would use you in their dire need!"_ he turned quickly to Orochimaru as he dismounted, "_Orochi, take Serpentine and scour the skies for a dark skinned woman controlling the storm. I have to stay and keep control of this matter from here."_

Orochimaru gave a quick look to the snake, and then he jumped up and mounted it. The two flew up, Orochi was jolted by the force but soon got his bearings, "Yes, like a hoarse, but much larger."

* * *

Above the fog but between the cloud cover he found a large collection of funneling wind and lightning, they both merge around or on the woman summoning them. It was odd the lightning coming off her to the fog, but Orochi was now worried on trying to stop her. His first option was to summon strange serpents from his body that hissed and struck off like bolts, but accordingly the lightning came and struck them making them useless. His other option was to get close enough to strike her with the staff, but that got ruined from the appearance of three others, two X-men and the Human Torch. Torch started to attack with his balls of flame, and Ice Man the teen mutant with cold abilities slides in tossing ice balls and javelins. Magneto took a different approach, he levitates to Storm and creates a half-shield if any attack should come at them he would block it. 

"Thanks… Magnus…" her voice is tired, but she held onto the power her white eyes seeking the sight of her new leader. He turned and asked "How much longer until you need to return?"

"Little longer… I can go… longer…"

Torch was tossing his fireballs while Ice Man tried to use his shards like daggers. Serpentine swung under and around the attacks, stray ones Orochi swung his staff to break them. After several of the attacks came a bit too close, Orochi screamed "What do we do? Can we get closer?"

Serpentine narrowed his many red eyes, and when flying closer it whipped its back to swing off the startled Orochi. As he was airborne, he realized he was headed straight for the slide made by Ice Man, but a ways back behind him. Orochi landed, and began to slide down it towards Ice Man who was still occupied by the snake, but had no idea Orochi was coming in on behind him. As Orochi came closer he readied his spear. Ice Man heard the scraping of metal on ice; he turned to only have a sudden flash before his arms shattered from the elbow down. His screams even caught Torch, he saw now how Orochi leapt off the slide and onto Serpentine again, and then how Ice Man fell off the slide with his arms missing their longer ligaments.

Ice Man was in pain because in his ice form he could withstand more pain, but his arms had just been shattered. He didn't even realize he had fallen off the slides yet. When he did, he saw the fog was around him, so he just had to concentrate. His arms began to re-mold from the dampness of the fog, and he had the lower parts again. He next made the ice from the moist fog to form a large pillar so he was in the fight again, and this time he had a really pissed look on his face, wonder why?

Storm lost her strength finally, so she fell forward into Magneto's arms, he screamed "I'm taking her back the fog will be lifting soon! We have to retreat!"

Torch and Ice Man share looks; stubborn and now angry, youth is a dangerous nuisance. The two go into an attack, and Magneto is wide eyed at their disobedience, "No… no, get back here!" He then turned to Storm, and flew to the tower instead.

Torch began to toss streams of flame as he followed the serpent, and Ice Man used flows of ice chilling its wings causing it to lessen speed and danger the creature with a freefall. Orochi took and left the mount, running along the tail and spine he soon made serpents that came off from his body snapping their long necks at the two attackers. The three fought like this with chancing blows but soon patience had played full. Orochi saw a moment, and spear within hand he swung it back and forward. It missed Ice Man, but as he was in front of the spear to jump it the spear instead struck the fiery torso of the Human Torch. When Ice Man saw this he froze, aside from the literal sense, and saw Torch sort of loose control and fall downward like a falling star. Ice Man gave a glare before diving in, and grasping the form of the Torch he makes another pillar with the still remaining fog. As they are up, he look to the wound and is stunned… he caught the damn thing! "What, you thought I was dead?"

"Well… yeah! You ass hole!" The two laugh at it not seeing Serpentine and Orochi were escaping with the spear back in his hand, they didn't care this fight had been won in some ways.

It was not a kind welcome, first Mr. Fantastic got on them then Magneto. Still they were pleased they were unharmed for the most part. There was little time to really do anything, except get ready for the next part of their plan. Ice Man now lowered his form and Magneto, Storm, and the others looked at him confused and slightly off-taken. "What is it?"

"Your arms…"

Ice Man looked down to see his arms from the elbow down were still ice, and they even let a cold mist roll off where the air was hitting them, "What the… maybe, because I had to regenerate them in my ice state I can't, oh man are they going to be like that forever?"

* * *

When Orochi had returned the fog was closely lifted, "The woman Storm is gone into the fortress; I could not slay her at the moment." 

"_I see, well it will only prolong the inevitable."_ Akaige moved his head along seeing the fog lifting, it soon revealed the shield is down and along the base of the fortress were many of the remaining heroes gathered at the entranceways. "_Well now, what have we here?"_

The heroes were all looking at each other embarrassed, Ben in the form of his large four-armed creature with four glowing golden eyes and black pants, white shirt, took the front screaming "Come on guys, just like in the movie! It'll work believe me!"

"Didn't the English throw lances and arrows at the Irish after they did it?"

"Yeah… but, their not the English and we're not the Irish so let them hang low!"

Ben turned face, and dropped trouser as they put it. Soon he began to slap his butt with an insult, alternating the arms he used each time. Others followed after, grudgingly at first, but all soon enough got to calling and barking out at the Kagejin. It was too obvious they wanted an attack, and Akaige just laughed, "_Do they think we're fools? This is a path," _he now saw Gaikotsu pointing and Akaige turned, to see Kireshk so mad he sent him and his men into an attack "_Aw crap…"

* * *

_

The moment Kireshk was far enough in, the field came back on! This time the field locked him inside with the heroes, and thanks to Storm it had more juice. It was not over, for Iron Man flew into the air and flipped a switch, sending out a message many explosions occurred over the ground around the heroes, and under path of Kireshk and his Kagejin. The dust was high, and debris with demon bits fell about everywhere. After it was over the heroes gave a little roar of victory, proud the plan worked so well.

The dust had cleared and Iron Man instantly charged his cannons, "Okay, you know what to do!"

The others were readying their fists, or clasping any weapons they had. Even those men who were able and followed with rifles gathered together to the cause. When the dust is gone, it shows the demons not taken in the blast still dazed. Kireshk was under his own mount when he heard the screams, and the storming feet of the humans. Trapped inside the now risen shield, decimated through the explosives, and being bombarded by strong and well-armed mortals even the demon regional saw a glimpse of his demise. It came in the man with the D insignia, Dare Devil, leaping in with his staff creating a sharp edge on the tip.

The edge was coming in inches to Kireshk's head but a spinning metal blur caused ripples of sound from clanging the edged staff, Dare Devil pulled back and back flipped from harm as several more of the items passed him. Kireshk had one arm free and from it the rings on his arm had grew to then spin off, enchanted with his own aura they moved at his beckoned call. The rings now spun at his own face, but quickly growing their shifting at the ends of the beast's body to shrink and latch it inside their holes. The rings raise the body up allowing Kireshk to stand up again. His rings let the body go, and return to his arms. With a smirk, he raised up his two arms allowing the rings on each arm to spin around his wrists, "Very well, let this be my first battle, and last mistake."

* * *

Gaikotsu looked on surprised, "Thought he was a goner for a second, now what?" 

"_Take the shield down. The sooner we regroup and reunite our forces and the shield is down, the sooner we take the building."_ Mr. Sinister was now coming over to Akaige, "_You never said anything about a third shield, Sinister."_

"It's the same shield they merely powered it during the fog. I would have told you sooner but that blasted weather made it nearly impossible to get around. It does not matter, I found they redesigned the field, it now has a "hole" in it though I'm sure they made it purposefully and I know not where it is."

Akaige gave a little glare to Sinister, not of anger but more aggression "_A hole? How big is this hole?"_

"Perhaps, the diameter of the fortress itself."

"_That's big enough for…"_ Akaige looked over to the tower and followed it all the way up to the roof, the helipad to be precise. His right claw pulled back with a collection of energy, he then tossed a mighty toss to make the ball swirl forth, and then it struck a barrier… "_I could have sworn they would have used a carrier in such a plan, I just could have."

* * *

_

Susan Richards faltered; her invisible shield nearly broke from that attack. Reed saw this on his monitor and asked "Susan, are you alright?"

"Yes just, getting tired now… that was a strong bomb."

The voice of Dr. Doom came over their communicators "Do not over-exert yourself my dear, when the battle is full circle I doubt even your invisible barriers will assist us any longer. Though thanks to the cloaking circle we have successfully transported three carriers of refuges, the next one will be landing soon."

Susan felt her smile grow, so she said "Thanks Victor, I'll be sure to make this all up to you."

"Really?" a small bit of intrigue played his tone, "How would you go about doing that, my dear?"

Mr. Fantastic now interrupted with a "Victor…" most annoyed and if not angry, to which Doom laughed his manner before closing the line. Reed now asked "Susan, are you going to be okay? We still need to be ready for the fight."

"It'll be fine, just let me handle it."

* * *

Akaige kept looking at that heliport, there is something… there has to be, it's what he would do under the circumstances if he were one of them! However, his attack hit the barrier and he wouldn't waste his energy on it. His worries were still too much to ignore, he gave a glare to Lokio on her winged creature, "_Lokio,"_ she moved her head to him slightly, "_Take two other powerful airborne demons to the top of the building and investigate the shield's power. I need to know just what's going on up there."_

She obeyed, and with here was the strange large beetle monster now gaining power to fly up there, and the wounded dragon of red, Hojimbo. Akaige felt at ease, if any would find out for him it would be lady Lokio.

* * *

Titan and Vegeta looked to the five most feared warriors of space, playing a game of, rock, paper, and scissors… "No way…" 

"The Ginyu Force is recognized even on my world of Tameran yet the stories never envisioned them like this."

Captain Ginyu decided not to play, but to agree if two members were killed he'd go ahead and take care of the problem. The first to loose was Jeice, he then was followed by Burter, Recoome, and the winner was the miniature green alien Gouldo. Gouldo had a mischievous grin as he walked towards Titan, "Okay, so I'll show you my…" he is now kicked like a soccer ball towards Vegeta, he quickly launches a beam from his hands that popped Gouldo like a zit, to which the Ginyu team looked stunned, Recoome asked "Can I watch my soap operas instead?"

Ginyu pushed Recoome forward, "Aw come on that was pure luck! You get on out there and show them what you've got! Then I'll take you to the place they make you soap operas."

"Really, that'd be great! I love my soap operas!" Recoome took a little stance, "By the way, the name's Recoome, which rhymes with doom, and you'll be hurting all too soon!"

Titan looked blankly, "This is not very threatening for a person of his size. As long as we are one, we are unstoppable!" Titan giggled, but then there was a strange flash and the four titans looked to one another, grimaced, and Beast Boy articulated it the best he could, "Aw man, we're so boned!"

* * *

Raven had learned a lot about herself from this. Not just the demon power, but more the actual quest. From Malchior, Fate, Arella, Britannia, and now this Shadow guy she learned much about her own self. This still left her with one question, when and where does it end? Why was she here, not there? What was she supposed to learn truly from all the training? When Shadow said that he was done he turned around, his back to her, and Raven was just returning to her human form when he said "You know that this isn't enough. This won't kill him; it's not even close to the power you would need to kill Akaige." 

Raven just looked at him in awe, "You mean I'm just wasting my time?"

"Have you?" Shadow looked to Raven now with a little play of intrigue, "So, what will you do? What have you surmised from all your hard work?"

"Not a damn thing! That's what! If I can't kill him than what's the point?"

Shadow seemed to just look at her, and then he turned to drop the field around Sephiroth "Maybe you're too young to understand that sometimes one must use evil, to stop evil."

Sephiroth stood with the Masamune, His smile grew large and sadistic, and he raised the sword on target Britannia and Clown. Raven knew she had to stop him, and the only way she could do that was to, use evil to stop evil. Sephiroth was going to strike when from the sky landed a dark force, in a deep red cowl. The red cloak was with two twisted shoulder formations as the cloak had twisted itself to resemble horns on the shoulder. Their hands had long black claws and the fangs of the face grin cruelly. Sephiroth only knew the being as they said "Back off, this is over!"

"Well, the Raven has learned to fly? I dou-." Sephiroth is struck over the chest by the claws, soon followed by more over his face and arms. All he could do was try to strike but Raven's ferocious strength and endurance made his attacks all useless. Soon enough, his sword was gone from his hand and he was on his back, seeping wounds and hate filled glare all left of the once powerful One Winged Angel. With him laying there her fangs became even more blood thirsty, drippings of crimson from her fingers seemed to tighten the veins in her arms. She wanted to tare him apart, to show how powerful she was now compared to him. "His father did that too, like yours." Raven turned to Shadow; he was in a way just talking enough for her to listen but not actually at her. "His father was a man devoted to science and the search of knowledge. It was so great; he offered his unborn child and wife to the goal to learn the ultimate extent of a power from space. The thing, Raven, is the power was so much Sephiroth lost any link to the world around him. You must ask yourself does your power make you better. Is it the power you have that gives you a right to act without consequence?" Shadow now looked to Raven, "Does power mean so much in this world?"

Raven gave a glare to Shadow, and then to Sephiroth. It was obvious to her now what all these stupid tests were; she was supposed to learn a very out of the way lesson. "I don't think this makes much difference, but fine." She flung her claws forward but when she struck, a vortex opened and Sephiroth was taken inside of it. Britannia was confused, as well as Clown. "So what do I do now Shadow?"

"That's your decision. I was only meant to sum up the lessons taught to you. This is where we shall part ways, my dear." Shadow stopped a moment, to give a little look up to the ceiling with thought, "Hmm, I do have one more thing to tell you. Sometimes, to finish a task one must return to where it began. That should do it then, farewell little one."

Shadow now disappeared into the darkness, Clown also got irate before jumping into a clown car and leaving. Raven shook her head turning back human, "This is just the stupidest…"

"Raven," Raven looked over to Britannia, "I appreciate the help. What Shadow said is very familiar. You know," Britannia looked to the pools of lava and sighed "It has been so long I've been here. I like to blame your father, his damn power-hungry nature for my being stuck here. The thing is it's not really that which brought me down here but something far worse."

Raven looked confused, but she came next to Britannia and asked "What happened?"

Britannia looked at the pools, then she turned to Raven with a saddened face, "That's not something you need to worry about. Shadow told you what to do, better get going. Looks like I didn't help much now did I?"

Raven just shrugged, "No, suppose you didn't." to which Britannia giggled, they certainly were getting along fairly well now. Raven left through a portal soon after allowing Britannia to look out at the fires around her, then she sighed once more, "The way one must choose their path is by all means one they alone must choose, choose wisely my friend."

* * *

Recoome screamed in the haymaker that launched Cyborg into the wall, and then the high kick sweeper that knocked Star and Beast Boy off into the closest pillar. He now latched an open palm on Robin's face, smiling, before the strange energy that gathered caused a massive shockwave. The fighters all stopped to see the cloaked glowing white figure now standing up. Ginyu was impressed by the appearance and then he turned on his scanner, as it went crazy he nearly swallowed his tongue before the thing blew up, "She's freaking off the scale! I never saw that much power before!" 

Recoome looked over to Ginyu then Raven, "Um, can I go home and watch my soaps now? This looks kind of scary, boss."

Ginyu laughed a confident laugh, and then took a stance saying "The scanner must be on the fritz, she couldn't possibly be that powerful! Watch and learn boys!"

Ginyu flew in and made a powerful spinning kick, but she ducked under it. He then started to go with punches and kicks in long combos, but each were just as ineffective. Ginyu screamed as he jumped back, gathered his energy in his hands and let it go as a wave, but Raven idly raised her hand and engulfed the wave into her hand where it swirled, and flew back but Ginyu ducked from the blast. He blinked at that little mess, and coughed, "Okay, she's pretty good. However, I still have my most devastating technique, the Body-change! Hoo-hah!" Ginyu planted his feet and charged his veins with a pink energy, his aura shot at Raven and she was covered with the pink aura too. The two were twitching and convulsing, but Raven's eyes glow bright white before the pink aura fired off out the temple and crashed on a small toad like creature. The creature looked around, croaked, and then turned up to see Nappa just awakening and then stomping on the creature. "I hate toads…"

Ginyu has fallen on all fours, and he looks around croaking like a frog. Recoome, Burter, and Jeice look to one another before turning and flying off as fast as could be. Ginyu squad without Ginyu is just a squad, and they would like to be the kind still alive tomorrow! The titans all looked around in awe, Slade even had been surprised. "Raven, is that really you?"

Raven looked back around, "No, it's the tooth fairy."

There was a bit of laughter as her friends started to huddle her and hug, shake, or just slap her on the back. Raven looked to Terra, "Terra? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, well…" She looked embarrassed, "Listen, we have a lot to do so why don't you just worry about it later?"

Raven was now looking to Slade, "Was protecting me too much trouble for you?"

"Yes!" he gave a little quirk of his eye, she smirked at that while he moved to the corner and tried to go unnoticed. Beast Boy was now looking at Raven all wide-eyed, she was so much more radiant than before as a kind of glow was in her eyes, around her hands, and just somewhat her itself. He then remembered that in Japan Mothra wanted him to give a message; he screams "Raven, I need to tell you something!" She nodded and waited for him to say something, but he looked nervous and said "I mean, tell you the other way." She realized what he meant and grabbed his head; putting their heads together she soon saw his mind and many things, some she found disgusting, filtered in quickly.

She did find what he wanted her to know, and she was aghast with it all. She looked in slight disgust from that rather than Beast Boy's other thoughts now. There was the phoenix like creature Atomsk, and then there was Superman leading a group of military officials attacking it. The strange man with glasses, Gendo Ikari, was leading the operation. Also a man in all black and a hood was right beside Gendo as he ordered the attack. Soon as Atomsk fell, the scene became that of Atomsk in a human like form with wings, still burning in fire he screamed on a table. The tests being conducted, the energy they tried to take from his dying body and at every step there was Gendo, and the man in black looking on. The thing Raven noticed, as the devices sparked over Atomsk's body the man in black's eyes sometimes reacted. The man's eyes burn, they burn with a fire, a fire not natural by any means. Then came the scene of the future that was, Apocalypse and his war, the death of millions of mutants by a disease, impact, Alter Users, three giant machines, and a strange clock winding but then shattering apart, too many visions, too many… the man in black and his damning eyes! THEY WERE TOO MUCH!

Raven broke off, she fell hard now looking as Beast Boy was confused; he had only a fraction of knowledge what the message was that had been sent. She looked at her hands, shaking. Her nerves were kind of shaky now but she knew what is going on, at least she had an idea. Things were now making sense, the demons and the strange Council decision. It all made sense… Raven stood up and smiled, "You know, things are never easy being a hero. They have to be the most confusing and down right pain in the butt things to be in life." Raven chuckled, but she then looked up with tears in her eyes, "The quest will end where it began. I think I understand now Shadow." She looked to her friends who were all confused, but a snap of her fingers and they all were gone, except the Sha-lah who now were merged to one and sat on Raven's shoulder, she smiled, "You know where we're going don't you?"

"The beginning, Sha-lah!"

* * *

Gendo gave a nod to his guard who was standing at the window before turning to Fury; he was sitting in his chair smoking his cigar for a while now. "Mr. Fury would you please consider the offer I mentioned joining your forces of SHIELD with our own?" 

Fury looked at Gendo and took a deep intake of the cigar, before puffing it out and standing up "You can go burn in hell which by the sounds of it I'm sure you will! This whole mess is probably your damn faults! Look at what is happening out there, what you've all caused! I won't be a part of it!"

Gendo was upset, but he nods "Very well, if that is your decision." Gendo pushed a button that opened a link to some video of where SHIELD HQ had been flying in the sky many miles away from the NERV island and facility. It didn't make sense, but then the explosion that caused it to crash made Fury drop his cigar, he quickly grabbed his gun and pointed it on Gendo. His ear twitched, Fury dropped back in a roll but his side now was bleeding as the guard had struck him. The guard in all black stood between Fury and Gendo, his hands lay in his lap lightly in front of himself. Nick jumped up and scrambled out of the door, but he was soon dragged back in where he was flung up the wall. The guard's eyes were burning red flames as Nick glared his own eye back.

"What are you?" Nick asked the guard, who pulled down his hood to show his red eyes, and silver hairs long with three tuffs along the hairline back somewhat like some crown. He had a handsome face, very unlikely with that set of devilish eyes. His smile gave way to the intent of his actions, he soon seemed to give a look to Gendo and then to Fury, his voice spoke in a firm dictation of his inner being, empty and somewhat unforgiving, "I am the bodyguard of Gendo Ikari, I am called Ansem."

"Ansem?" Fury now felt the pain on his throat, the force holding him without being there. As the force was getting stronger Fury felt into his pockets, he found a small orb he soon pulled out and crushed into his hand. The orb in truth caused smoke to spread about, he felt the force loosen and so he ran for the door into the halls. Gendo was startled, but he heard Ansem say "Don't worry I'll take care of him. Just stay here, it won't take long."

Fury ran past several halls and corridors as Ansem now followed. He turned to run down one, but suddenly the shadows there came alive with golden eyes and short stature creatures with antennae started to move toward him. Fury now fell back from the monsters, asking, "What the hell are they?"

"They have nothing to do with hell. Hell is in most ways, merely a stare of mind." Fury looked to Ansem, his black cloak was replaced with a white one, with a black top and armor padded shoulders. His gloves were white also matching the undershirt he wore that was a button jacket, open from the pectorals his bare chest showed through. On the center of his chest was an unusual tattoo of a blackened heart with red outline and stitched X formation, he now looked on with a sick smile as he said "We are in fact the Heartless, and this world is part of our rule now. Consider your petty life forfeit as..." Fury ran down another set of corridors, Ansem looked down it with a frown. Nick Fury had not made it very far when a force grabbed his throat. Ansem's own shadow had stretched to his and allowed a creature to rise from Fury's own shadow to choke him. This creature seemed like a living shadow, it had even demonic like appearance with golden glowing eyes and a strange X shaped strap over its mouth. As Fury tried to pry free the monster put more force until finally, Fury's own arm fell limp. The creature turned its head to Ansem who smiled before it returned to his own shadow, then grew up to cover his body in the black coat he was wearing before, "I wasn't finished talking, but at least he got the message."

* * *

Raven stood at the entrance to the white holistic pillars and doorway, the Celestial Council. Celestials are to her knowledge beings that evolved so greatly, they can in a manner be deemed godly. They are not gods, but powerful entities capable of distorting time, space, or reality through such power. Thanos is such a being and he now stood at the archway. He was one his knees, shying his eyes from Raven, "Mi lady, the deeds I did today, I beg you forgive me." 

"You did nothing that you should not have Thanos. I don't exactly like the idea you tried to kill me," she shrugged, "but, we do what we've got to do."

Thanos looked up in a slight grin, "Thank you mi lady. I shall never forget your kindness to me this day." He then disappeared in a torrent of energy.

Raven smiled as she felt a little better, he wasn't all bad just very misfortunate. Her smile turned to alarm, as the sound of flapping and the familiar voice from behind saying "She's just full of mercy. Why, she even took pity on me. That was a mistake that will cost you your life today girl."

Raven swung around to have the long blade of a katana lodged into her shoulder. Blood gushed from her wound as she now was forced to the ground, over her and with his long sword edged at an angle into her flesh, stood Sephiroth smiling through his long bangs and hairs, his hands shaking as he pushed deeper the blade and Raven screamed again. "I worked so hard, so long to find her. That bitch, that fallen Brittannia, has the last knowledge of the Masamune! Only she, Tiamat, and Trigon know the exact damn whereabouts of that sword! The sword of devil's soul, of Tiamat's triumph, the oldest demon blade from the gods own hand, Masamune!" the next push caused Raven to scream worse than before, he twisted the blade to cause the wound to become even greater, "I'll kill you, and for the record there will be NO MERCY from me!"

Raven gave a very stern glare, her hand latched the blade and covered it with energy as dark as the red in her eyes. She now pushed the sword with Sephiroth pivoting on the hilt, and then tossed them both backwards. Raven stood slowly, her nails and fangs grew, cloak became darker, and all out expression crueler. "Alright, I guess we'll do this the hard way!"

* * *

Wendy was at one time of day trying to leave her job, make plans, and perhaps meet Mr. Right. She never expected Mr. Right was in fact the gun totting vigilante with some stupid skull on his chest. Punisher had to watch everything on the roof, with him was Susan Richards, her brother The Human Torch, War Machine the partner of Iron Man, the Fenton family including Danny Fenton's friends, Ghost Buster group, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This was a fairly out of place group, but it mattered very little since all they did now was load up people from the roof to the ships flying down. The next transport has just landed, up till now Wendy has been with Punisher the whole step of the way. He smiled to her, offered a cigarette, and she took it with a smile of her own. "Thanks, you know how to treat a gal." 

"Just my way of saying good bye, this is your transport now." Wendy frowned, she wasn't leaving now. "Don't look like that. If you don't get on that ship you'll regret it, maybe not today, or maybe not tomorrow but…"

She gave a quirk of the brow, "Casablanca?"

Punisher rubbed his head, "Hey, I'm just trying to sound cool and all. Serious, you need to go now! You don't know when," he points to the field behind him not knowing Lokio on her beast is now hovering outside the field, "those things might start attacking this spot."

Torch started to scream his 'Flame On' thing when Wendy asked "How did you know?"

"What?" Punisher turned seeing Lokio, with her was Hojimbo and Hercules both flying around the field Hercules actually holding Hojimbo in his arms. "Holy crap, what are they doing here?"

Donatello the purple masked turtle walked over with his wooden staff, "My guess, they decided the field has to be here and they wanted to see what is going on. Luckily, the invisible field makes it so they can't see us!"

Lokio looked about, her frightening eyes narrowed as she slowly let her beast hover in spot. She then raised her hand to the field, holding her palm on it she looked more intently. Soon she raised her eyes up to the sky where she saw the clouds rolling into the field, and they were disappearing! She now pulled on her beast, it screamed as she made distance to then call on her skills. With movements of her hands and fingers her delicate gestures made the aura of her body glow a faint blue. The aura rolled from her body, to her hands, and there the gestures took form to the energy making a giant sickle like form. The sickle struck forward on the field where Susan now desperately tried to hold the charade up longer. The transport was part way full, Punisher tried to drag Wendy but she pulled free snatching one of his grenades, "I'm not going!" she then ran towards Lokio with the grenade and pulled ring. Lokio struck again with her strange attack, and repeatedly the attack came. Susan finally lost her strength and the field fell, but Wendy tossed the grenade moments before it fell. Lokio was then seeing the field fall and people scattered about a ship, she gave a slight leer before the appearance of a grenade was exiting the invisible fog and on her location.

* * *

The shockwave struck her even as she tried to fly back, making her and the beast flutter backwards and towards the ground. Their fall is into a group of Kagejin soldiers on the ground, she turns to her lord and he sees what she saw. Akaige glared aggressively at the roof seeing the ship on top now, still loading, "_I knew it; oh how I just knew it!" _He took a moment to somewhat applaud the tactical genius in that plan, but quickly followed was the order to send aerial units to the roof and attack. With it all kinds of monsters, large and small, broke off from their regiments and headed into the air. Akaige pulled back from Serpentine and looked to Gaikotsu, "_Take Serpentine to the roof and drop off, lead that attack until I gain access to the building!"_

Gaikotsu gave a nod before jumping on the large snake which took off nearly immediately. Akaige was just starting to concentrate on the shield, when he heard this horn and drums. His head turns only slightly to their rear where a collection of riders had begun to appear outside the camp. "_How interesting they would show up now. Perhaps the wolves were merely looking for a good time to strike."_ Akaige turned to the masses of his Kagejin, and sought one mind in particular "_Shrikirk, take your clan and move to the rear flank. Do not engage until I say, merely position and do not be found out by your movement."_ The demon he spoke to nodded, and followed his clan did to the rear flanks shadowing their movement among the other Kagejin in ranks and formations. Akaige looked to the tower, and he gave a slight leer. They would be making the last couple hours most ferocious and defiant, and Akaige would not have this end any other way.

The werewolf clan is lead by a white wolf. This was Whitepelt, and he wore armor over most of his body only the helmet covered his skull, cheeks and forehead but left the snout and eyes bare. Whitepelt turned his head to his right, there is a female werewolf but she had black leather with black armor. Her head is completely covered in a helmet, she turned to Whitepelt and he asked "Is everything okay daughter?"

The daughter of Whitepelt nods; pulling up her helmet's visor she showed the narrow snout and grin of her fangs, "I'm fine. This may be the first I've been in battle, but at least it's with you." Her leather is like some leotard and long buckle boots also black. The armor on her arms and over her leotard's chest also was black. Her fur is white, but it is accented with an unusual darker gray color. She was nervous made obvious with the way she held onto the tether of her pet hound, Brutus. A large black wolf that looked up to her, she gave a shy look as it snorted and looked a head again. Whitepelt laid his hand on her nervous one and whispered "If you wish you may leave. I would rather you did not fight today Chjia."

"That would be dishonorable to the Clan, I can not do that." She now pulled her visor back down and waited for the signal, Whitepelt sighed but started to move in front of his clan. At the front, he drew his sword with a set of runes etched along the central face of both sides. As he motioned it forward, he began to howl like that of a wolf to the moon, a call at arms now followed as all his people howled like he did. The howling was a unified ringing and it made many the demons scattered in the rear flank somewhat shift uneasy. They now charged together on top their wolf companions into the battle. Some carried weapons varying from the swords, to even rifles but they more relied on their fierce claws and fangs as a source of fighting. Akaige watched as they were closing in, and swinging about face he screamed "_Now Shrikirk, attack them now!"_

There is a bloodcurdling shriek befell the air, followed quickly by more of them. The screaming caused their heightened wolf hearing to turn on them and make many stop charging. From the ranks now stormed out into the front of the rear several demons. They stop and form a line, they all share the same kinds of features though with differences all their own. The lower body is like a hoarse with the four legs and hooves, but covered in black leather hide they also seem reptilian almost. Their upper body facets about where the head would be with a human male or female torso with dark purple leathery skin was their upper bodies. They wore a mixture of styles, armor on some, others wore leather like vests or cowls, and then there were those who wore black netting over the chest and fur. Their heads seemed to be a lizard's but with a shorter snout more round and full of fangs. They also have two horns curled at where the ears should be, and curled around toward the jaw to make sounds curve into slots of the head from the horns wide fanned inner cove. The final thing to notice was the fact they have no eyes, but their shrieking would in fact send the sound off those before them into those horns, and by echo-location the monsters could hunt even in the darkest open areas. The werewolves had not stopped their attack but did stop the charge, Whitepelt stood to the front of his people now seeing these monsters. They were clacking their hooves as wolves were clawing the dirt. Both clans looked on one another, and then one of the demons stepped forward and to the center front adjacent to Whitepelt. This demon stood much taller and larger than his followers and he had red paint or blood on his cheeks like stripes, and over the front of his face mimicking an eye tattoo. He strode along showing on his side rump many deep gashes all lined along, even crossed as if a marker system. Over his right arm were three large tusks like bones coming out from the wrist wrapped in thick wire as if crude claw weapon.

The demon could not speak in a language verbal, but his mind seemed to call out Whitepelt with a very unnatural whine behind its words like whales or sea creatures, "_Who are you wolf? Do you have a name?"_

"Whitepelt, if you must know!" his sword is gripped tightly as the demon's nostrils flare smelling the air, "What about you, do you have a name?"

"_I am Shrikirk, the master of the Kagejin Akkiuma Clan, made years into the wars we had with Werewolf clans. We have the history of fighting their kind and in some cases the honor of it. Each mark here," _he brandished the many markings over his rumps sides, "_They signify the many werewolves I killed worthy of remembering, and perhaps you could have the honor of such a list?"_

Whitepelt gave a little smirk in his fangs, "Sorry, I plan to live today."

"_Good, because it's not as much fun if the prey is not planning on dying already!" _Shrikirk now screamed and so did the demons with him, they charged and the wolfen clan charged also. The two forces met, wolfs on hind legs dug their fangs and claws in while in some the Akkiuma kicked with their hooves. The riders would try to strike with swords and other melee weapons but Akkiuma also had weapons and at times either blocked an attack, or knocked the riders clear off their mounts.

Whitepelt and Shrikirk went at it the hardest, Whitepelt swung his sword as Shrikirk backed away, blocking with his claws and making a forward gallop then gash. The two separate and circle one another, the hound growls and snarls as Shrikirk began to shriek in sparse moments. Shrikirk then shrieked loudly, it caused a momentary flinch of the hound and he took an attack. The sudden strike hit the hounds face, but it returned with a leap trying to bare into the side. Shrikirk sprinted from the lunge to then bull his rear legs into a kick; it struck the hound on the ribs making it yelp and fall onto the ground hard. Whitepelt was now off his hound trying to clamor up again. Shrikirk stomped his front legs around onto the hound several times, enough to cause it to finally howl out before letting its head hang and fall. Next he turned on Whitepelt with a shrill scream, but the werewolf has already lunged up and slashed his claws over the chest of his opponent. Shrikirk is stumbling back, and then he swings to have his claws clang to the sword as Whitepelt wanted to distance. Shrikirk was charging after the wolf when he is surprised by a complete turnabout, Whitepelt now turned and began to slash wildly with his sword making Shrikirk go defensive. Shrikirk jumped on his hind legs and began to kick; he eventually got through the slashes to land one hoof right into the shoulder of Whitepelt. Whitepelt was down and his sword fell out of his hand into some mud and dirt being kicked up in the battles around them. He now looked up seeing the claws being brought in on him. Whitepelt rolled to the left, then he looked up seeing hooves and he rolled again. Shrikirk was over him stomping and slashing as he tried to catch the wolf under one or the other of his attacks.

Whitepelt rolled out of the way of two legs, and then he felt something hit behind him and looked seeing one of his fallen clansmen. He rolled toward that member and checked his body, finding something he grabbed it and swung about on the ground. Shrikirk was falling on top with both legs kicking when he felt something in his chest, the long spear to be precise. Shrikirk had been impaled partially by a spear Whitepelt just found; Whitepelt used his spot on the ground with his back to push off the attacking demon and toppled it on its side. He stood up, but the kicking legs caught his knee making him holler up with a sickening crack. Shrikirk screamed and shouted, but he latched his hands on the spear's shaft pulling it out. He then pushed up off his side and onto his belly, and four legs. Standing up he looked around seeing Whitepelt was not there, he was somewhere in the mess of battle. He screeched angrily before flaring his nostrils and grinning the trail of blood he has been wounded, and it made him crawl.

Whitepelt may be crawling, but he was still fighting. He decided he needed his sword and now. Besides, werewolves heal quickly and even his leg would heal in less than a few minutes. He was shifting on the ground trying to keep from being crushed but now and again, hoof or claw came inches from taking his head or limbs off. In a moment, he saw a glimmer of metal. Whitepelt gleamed his fangs as he reached but a familiar hoof clacked the ground his hand was reaching for. Rolling his eyes, Whitepelt looked up to the excited Shrikirk, "What took you?"

Shrikirk screamed as he raised his other hoof for a clean crushing blow, but a black wolf dove in and started mauling the side of the demon. On it rode Chjia the daughter of Whitepelt; she had in her hand two long daggers with ridged backs and made of black steel. She screamed a roar of blood, and lunged off the mount onto the demon also striking at its upper body as it had been brought down. Kicks of the legs got Brutus the hound off, next Shrikirk swung his claw to miss, but then he swung a fist that only dazed and removed Chjia from his face. Shrikirk stood up and then kicked her in the ribs making her roll back, into a rock she slapped up on it in a yelp as he slowly side-trotted towards her. As he was readying to strike, his head turned quickly with a kick to Brutus who tried to lunge behind it. Shrikirk raised his chin in superiority, and turned again to have a dagger lodged in his left pectoral; he tore it out and tossed it at Chjia for the attack. She felt the blade in her leg, she screamed before pulling it, then tossing it again but sick of the pass-about Shrikirk merely swung his claw to loose it in the chaos around them. He now readied his claws, but he yet again pulls away to gallop out of the path of two fighting soldiers soon falling, then rolling around at his feet.

His head turned up, he moved his neck as Chjia was getting up and mounting Brutus again. He screamed ready to attack but this time he felt a pain in his underside, he fell onto his knees feeling at his lower chest while blood gushed his stomach. Rolling out from under him had been Whitepelt now standing up, and giving a wide smile with his sword again. Shrikirk squealed a fierce scream this time, and charged up taking Whitepelt along in his charge. The two were charging deeper into the maddening battlefield, sharing a punch and jab each stride along the way. Chjia looked up and saw them disappearing, she screamed and whacked the tether so Brutus followed but she stopped with a strange large crackling sound, she and many fighting looked towards the barrier around the Baxter building…

* * *

Reed was blankly looking at the screen, he turned saying to Magneto "That's it… no more power." 

He nods ands wings his cape "This is it no more delays or tactics, it's a race to the roof. Take anyone you can, however you can. The halls will be filled with those monsters anytime now so be careful!"

Ice Man, Storm, and their newest member Husk the blonde with the power to turn her skin to anything she wants, now all nod as they head off on their mission to get out with a group of survivors. Storm stopped to turn, "Eric, take care of yourself!"

"My dear, I think it is these monsters that should worry. They're about to know the master of magnetism on a first hand basis!"

Storm floated off to now wonder, just how bad has the roof gotten, or outside on the ground for that matter?

* * *

Ben 10 was just finishing up with a demon pummeling its lights out when his Omnitrix suddenly shut off, he watched as he and the demon fell onto the ground luckily it was already dead. He stood up brushing his pants and looking around. He was used to violence with the hero and being a kid in a world where games like Mega Steal Auto are everyday things. However, this was not like the games or his fights people all around him were really dying! He turned around just in time to see some large mammoth looking thing stumble on him, he rolled out of the way but man it was close. He now stood up and looked again to see it breathe then die, he was glad he didn't get killed. "Move it boy!" said the owner of the metal tentacle arms, "This is my way out of this mess!" he just killed the beast and headed to the doors to the building, Ben ran screaming "Are you crazy they see this and they'll follow!" 

The good doctor, Otto Octavius, turned and latched one tentacle on Ben "Not here, up there and you're coming with me!" he started to scale the wall swinging Ben onto his back "I'll say I save the young hero, but truth is I don't feel like getting my tail eaten from these monsters if all that's left is escaping!"

"You're running away?"

"Well, if you put it that way… I'm making a tactical retreat!"

Ben made a 'tch' sound, but he needed to leave now that his Omnitrix was done. He now heard the crackling and turned back seeing the shield was flickering again, his heart sunk knowing what's about to happen "We have to go back."

"Boy, you can not help them. If anything you're too young to be wasting your life away as they do. Think, do not act so foolish and unkindly to what gifts god gave you. We'll fight again but for now we need to get to safety."

"You could still fight you coward!" Ben angrily glared at Doc Ock, but then he heard the fizzle and crackle, he turned and then it was done, the shield is finally gone. With it came many roars and storming feet. Ben grimaced as he saw the stampeding monsters, the real battle just got fully under way.

Kireshk swung his rings and heard a familiar voice scream his name, turning he called back the rings but one he held up in the air. Gordaio on his large beast grabbed the ring and swung Kireshk onto the back, "I thought you had my back." Kireshk mused, Gordaio shrugged saying "I'll try better next time!"

* * *

The roof is now being brutally battered. Gaikotsu rode on top of Serpentine using his breath to cause the people to run around screaming. His flames cause not burning but decaying effects and any unfortunate literally decayed away as his flame got them. As he was laughing over one he caught, his glance went skyward seeing something he didn't like so much. Swarms of mechanized men were flying down from the sky with blasters and powerful lasers started to attack him and his demon brothers and sisters. Gaikotsu gave a light growl before leaping from Serpentine onto one of the robots, then planting his fist through its chest he leapt to the next and the next like skipping stones along the way breaking the machines. He finally leapt off one and found himself in jumping distance of the roof; he jumped and landed in a spry little roll. Standing up, he looked around finding more of these robots landing around him. With a loud roar he stormed in fists a swinging, snapping and breaking them to bits.

Wendy squat behind some ventilation chute to check the gun Punisher had given her, then the ammo he also handed her. She sighed, not looking good now. Luckily the robots started to clear off the roof and push back most the monsters that had been attacking. She felt at eased with that, but she then felt nervous with the heat on her back. Wendy turned to see a familiar red dragon, Hojimbo, now snarling its snout full of fangs at her. Wendy swung around with the gun and began to fire at the monster but it swiftly disarmed her with its long tail, next it roared and charged with its snapping mouth. Wendy kicked her high-heels at its mouth, making it back off then charge again. A lucky kick and one heel hit off its snout and into an eye, Hojimbo squealed before trying to pry the heel out, scratching and clawing at the show as he now fumbled around. Wendy tore off her other shoe and ran towards the railing; she stopped and turned again now running to the door to the lower levels. She is stopped as Hojimbo finally removed the heel and leapt in with his wings out as the blades they could become. One is still fairly marked up but now he could fight with it as the sharp spines and edges were very deadly. Hojimbo swung his wings at Wendy; she turned and ran now realizing she still had her gun back there! She started to head for it as Hojimbo gave chase, but then she dove and turned to fire at him. Hojimbo screamed as she clicked the gun, and then she realized she hasn't reloaded yet. Hojimbo leapt with claws and fangs poised, but he's blown into bits from a grenade. Wendy turns to find the trail of smoke leading from Punisher; he screams "Get your cute little butt out of the way!"

Wendy ran over to that chute again and just kind of stayed there. She did reload the gun but other than that she had no plans to get too involved, but she also wouldn't leave Punisher if she could. He was now realizing the transport should be pulling off, but since it didn't he asked "What the hell is…" the answer was on large Hercules now flying onto the transport and sort of standing on it as he smacked away robots. Punisher couldn't believe this thing it just had an obsession of getting in his way, first the van and now… he thought of a great idea. He looked over the edge to see where he parked, his van was still there. He snapped into a headphone, "Battle-Van, set off alarm system!" the alarms started going off and it blew the horn. After the horn went off, Hercules propped his head up after smashing two robots between his claws, then jumped off and floated over to the edge of the building. The transport started flying up and taking off with the people now on board. Hercules saw the van going off and started heading down, Punisher gave one final command to his Battle-Van, "Battle-Van, and drive." The van peeled off with Hercules chasing it even so much as to leave the battle field. Punisher kind of sighed, that was his baby for some time now.

Gaikotsu ripped the head off of one mechanized man, and then tossed it through the chest of two others. The head fell short of the edge but a certain reptilian foot stepped on it, "Wow, looks like someone is in a bad mood."

Michelangelo, the turtle ninja with an orange mask now did a little twirl of his nunchucka. The two others also were with him, the one with red mask Raphael gave a little arm crossed toe tapping snarl "Oh, just what we need some overgrown bone pile giving reptiles a bad name."

Gaikotsu looked over the three, a moment he seemed to stand there before snapping his fingers and saying "Oh I know what you are, you're turtles aren't you?" The three brothers look at one another smirking, "I can't believe it; Dead Man just had one of you things a while back. Too bad it got away."

Donatello in his purple mask jumped slightly from the new information, "Leo is still alive."

"Yeah looks like it." Gaikotsu snarled with his changing blood red in color, "However, you freaks won't be so lucky when I'm through with you!"

Gaikotsu ran forward with his fists clenched, eyes blood red, and fangs glistening with all intent to kill. Michelangelo is the first one closest and has to swing his nun chucks to back off the attacks. Donatello leapt in with his staff, he tried to sweep Gaikotsu's legs but he jumped over it and the two turtles. Gaikotsu now swung his two fists straight into the backs of the turtle's shells sending them reeling forward. Gaikotsu then had Raphael with his two Sai weapons digging into his sides, lifting him up then tossing him on the side. Gaikotsu looked up as Raph was coming in again, he kicked Raph's ankle making the turtle fumble. Standing up, Gaikotsu saw Michel and Don now coming together, Michel jumped up and hopped off the staff weapon Don held over his head, then Michel landed behind Gaikotsu with his nun chucks latching around the demon's wrists as restraints. Don began to swing his staff more like some kind of bat, in the ribs at first but then along the arms, legs, and even head. One strike to the head however, caused Gaikotsu to get control. He latched those fangs in his jaw on the staff, and then he swung up his leg hooking Don around the neck and kicking him on off to the side. Michel was surprised, but not as surprised when the staff swung up in the air and smacked him square on the head. Gaikotsu then swung around and punched Michel with a strong hook that sent the turtle down for a nice hard slam.

Gaikotsu turned around to find he was the only demon on the roof; the others kind of were being attacked by robots. War Machine and the Human Torch landed behind the other two turtles. "Well, looks like the odds are against me." Gaikotsu gave a little snort, and then latched his hands on the railing. "Of course, appearances are often deceiving!" thousands of bones seemed to be swirling from the ground below onto the railing behind and around Gaikotsu. When they stopped, a large black and pink flame appeared which was now an eye within one mammoth sized eye socket. The large beast stood taller than the heroes by several feet, it was a collection of bones mimicking a man's form but with reptilian distortions like arched legs, and long claws on each hand. That was pretty bad looking, but then the fact it also formed a huge bone style club with one hand, with protruding spiked additions… that was horrifying.

Gaikotsu started swinging the club either which way. Left, right, up and even down he just swung that thing and swung it hard. Human Torch nearly got smashed, and War Machine could have been side swiped if not for his boosters. After so many close calls, Torch swing his fireball at the hand the club was holding figuring it may cause the behemoth to drop it… didn't work. In fact, Gaikotsu now swung and smashed Torch clear off the building. Torch turned to his human form, and only by a metal tentacle did he become saved. Doc Ock looked up, seeing the roof is a ways off… "I better not need to save any more or else I won't have enough arms to keep going." He then raised his brow and brought Ben the young boy into his human arms, "Sorry boy but I need all the metal arms I can get!"

"Ewe, stop hugging me!" Ben sniffed the air and gagged, "You need a bath!"

"Don't make me drop you, you little…"

Gaikotsu swung his club down breaking a chunk of the roof; it cracked enough that Donatello lost his footing and stumbled over. Gaikotsu saw this and swung his club up again and back down, with the crackle and splat sound soon following. Raphael and Michelangelo stopped cold in their tracks; Gaikotsu raised up his club and went "Ewe, turtle tar-tar!"

Gaikotsu was now being barraged with beams from War Machine, one even got him in the eye which made the beast scream and falter back off the railing. The bones shattered and one hand grabbed the railing, Gaikotsu turned to his lesser form in the drop of a half. He reached up with the other hand but a staff cracked over his knuckles, he lost grip and started falling. Raphael snarled as he watched the demon fall, "That was for Donnie, you freak!"

Gaikotsu was falling and Doc Ock reached out his tentacle, but retracted it before he came close enough letting the demon keep falling. "Woops, almost caught that one!"

Raph rubbed his eyes but a set of green hands latched his shoulder "Thanks Mikey, I could use a little…" he turned and saw Donatello, "What?"

"Um, I sort of rolled into that big hole and I think he smashed the, uh, sewer line or something." He chuckled, but Raph started to strangle him "You jerk! I thought you were dead!"

On the ground outside the gate to the Baxter Building, Dare Devil stood with his strange canes ready to strike, but he stood there rather than actually striking. Gordaio and Kireshk look to one another they have been trying to get past this guy and to the door a while now. "You know what we need, we need a good distraction!" Kireshk said. He didn't expect Gaikotsu landing straight on him, which did distract Dare Devil from over-exposure of the sound. Gordaio took and ran forward; Dare Devil just reorganized when two hands wrapped his skull and then crushed it. The devil of dare, the man with no fear, died in a blink of an eye which he never used. Gordaio turned and saluted Gaikotsu, "Well done sir it was a perfect distraction!"

Gaikotsu rubbed his head, "Yeah, sure, whatever you say." Next they gathered together to see the gate. Gordaio, Gaikotsu, and Kireshk all three latched their hands at the gate's bottom and started to try and pry it open. They seemed to not have the strength, but a strange sound and each turn to see Lokio with her hands motioning, they scream and jump as a burning red skull smashed through the door. The gate was gone and the building now was open to attack. The next figure, Akaige, walked forward drawing his sword and motioning his people to storm the facility which they most certainly did.

* * *

Reed sent out a message, "The main gate has now been breached, report to the roof as soon as possible. Anyone still able to fight quickly make way from your designated checkpoints, and proceed with caution!"

He now turned to Benjamin Grimm, the Thing, and "Okay, let's get a move on Ben!"

Ben gave a thumb up with the little boy on his shoulder, "Sure thing stretch! Let's get a move on!"

Spider Man hugged the elderly woman; she his aunt just gave a smile. "I have to say, your uncle would be so proud of you today Peter."

"Thanks Aunt May, now you best get going I'm sure that you'll be fine."

She started to follow a group to the roof; Venom lands next to Spider Man and asks "Why didn't you go with her?"

"I need to stay. I just feel that until the last ship flies out, I have to be here!" he turned to Venom who looked with a large grin, "What is it?"

"You're so gay." To that the two just gave a chuckle and moved on their own paths. One group with Dante and Rorek moved out immediately. Hawkeye and Tigra the two avengers came into their own group, leading it to the roof as well. Uncle Max, Ben's uncle, was in the group with Danny Phantom and his family but when he turned to usher on Gwen she was gone. He asked if he could look for her and Danny looked at the group, giving a smile he picked Shredder to go with him… Shredder flipped Danny off but followed any how. He did also say something around a curse but it never hit Danny's ears.

* * *

The X-men were originally four separate groups but when the gate broke they joined to one team. It seemed they were more worried over actually keeping safe than mobility. The halls are meant to allow maybe a small group move fluently, but several small groups in these hall and it got congested. Ice Man and Husk were to the back; he noticed her nervous shaking and asked "You okay Paige?"

Paige is not a real fighter; she never was in this kind of situation before. She just kind of smiled and said "I'll be fine just a little worked up." She looked at his arms, the now ice lower arms seemed to be so weird and she asked "Does that hurt?"

"What?" He looked and sighed, "Nope, I can't feel anything in them now. I can't believe I might be stuck with these from now on…"

Paige was now sad because he got upset, she thought it over and held up her arms after taking off her gloves, then showed her arms like his turning to ice. Ice man sort of smirked, that power of hers was something. "So your skin can turn into anything? You can even shed it and make things out of solid matter?"

"Not just solid but also liquids and gases, I have a little trouble working the gases at times." She now let the skin begin to shatter and peel so she was normal again, "The sad thing is how sensitive my skin is to touch and pain in the normal form, because it's always a new layer."

Ice Man had a mischievous grin, he loves jokes and so he made some ice cubes in his hand. He then waited a moment before dropping them down the back of her shirt, and she froze, turned blue in the face, then jumped and wailed as her arms darted around. He nearly died laughing as she was going ballistic. Magneto turned and screamed "Would you two behave! We're on an important mission here!" The two stopped, only after Paige turned her right arm into steel and punched him in the shoulder making him wail like she did. Magneto rolled his eyes, but then saw Storm smiling. "What is it you find so funny?"

"Merely noticing how well you fit the role of father figure." She giggled, and he kind of glared so she lessened the laughing. However, he looked ahead before asking "You think so?"

Just then a large rumble came and Abyss the strange mutant with the black hole in his chest appeared, his windy body stretched along the hall to block off their route. "He-he-he-he, look what I found!"

Magneto gave a nod "Well done, I thought we were done with you." Magneto swung his hand and Abyss flew back out the wall he just came through "He should remember that his body is mostly a metal wrapping around a black hole."

Storm looked out the hole and gasped as the metal arms and legs started to stretch in again, Abyss stood more his human size than the large ball he tried being before. "Okay, let's try that again." He coughed, and struck a frightening pose with his stretched out fingers as if he was going to strangle someone, but this time a green cloak fell and grabbed Abyss by his springy neck to swing the fiend through another wall into some kind of laboratory. "Don't worry we'll take it from here Magneto."

Magneto gave a bow to Cloak and Dagger as she phased out from Cloak's body. "Thank you for the assist, last I remember you were on the ground."

"Yes, but things are going very poorly down there." Dagger turned to Abyss as he was regaining his form "I mean VERY poorly."

* * *

Iron Man stood on top of something as he tried to give orders. Their plan to retreat failed as the demons surrounded and cornered the remaining members on the ground. As the horror began to truly break their forcer into nothing, a set of chains caught Iron Man and pulled him out of the clutches of several demons. He is smacked up on the side of the building, still looking down he sees the many monsters now devouring those who did not escape. He felt ill, but he later looked up seeing Spawn flying him over the wall. "Spawn?"

"No reason to get ourselves killed, or at least yourself I'm already dead…" he shook his head "I mean now we should head to the roof, try to reorganize what we can!"

They passed Doc Ock; he snarled "Make it look SO easy…"

Ben looked over Doc Ock's shoulder seeing robots fighting demons, and two clashed to then start spiraling towards, them! "Whoa, behind you doc!" he didn't have enough time because they smashed through the wall and inside the building. Ben is thrown from Doc Ock, as was Torch as well. Ben stood up hearing his Omnitrix was operational; he smiled before picking a form and turning it on. He took the form of Hot Spot, the flame version of his alien bodies. He looked around finding the Torch now standing up and seeing Ben he fired up, Ben screamed "Wait! I'm one of the good guys!"

"Oh, sorry…" he powered down and looked around. Doc Ock came walking out on his two lower tentacles asking "Are you all safe?" they nod, "Good, let's continue our…" he screamed as he fell forward with a large winged torso with a skull full of twisted fangs, long clawed arms, and three small red eyes squinting at those around it. The beast leapt off and grabbed the Torch in the confusion, he tried to flame up but they tumbled and swung about, he then felt a sharp pain as the beast bit his throat. The monster swung its head about, thrashing and gnawing, but then it stopped as the Human Torch was put out, permanently.

Ben was so freaking stunned he almost didn't act, but his shock stopped and he burst a stream of flame on the monster incinerating it and the Torch. Doc Ock stood up and brushed himself off, seeing what he did he put a tentacle around Ben saying "Let us go boy, there is nothing else we can do here."

* * *

Whitepelt looked back seeing the forces on the ground had retreated, now was their turn. Howling up high he sounded the retreat, Chjia and Brutus started to run as Whitepelt howled several more times. The Akkiuma were not letting them just leave though as they followed quickly behind. Whitepelt looked at his men closest; he found one with a large rocket launcher. He snapped at them, they tossed the already loaded weapon and followed in formation for retreat. Passing between two large buildings Whitepelt aimed the launcher and fired at the one that seemed the most decrepit. Her chose wisely as the building began to buckle and then slam to close off their retreat. Shrikirk stopped his pursuit, they could run around the building and chase again but really it did not matter. This battle was still being waged and they served their purpose. The Akkiuma ran back to their camp, while the Werewolves ran toward a swirling portal opened by a small band of Werewolves within robes, holy men who served to open and close the door to the clan's mainland.

Whitepelt turned around before leaving, seeing Shrikirk had followed to this point even if he sent his men back. With a grin of his fangs, Whitepelt left through the portal before it closed. Shrikirk rubbed his rump, shrilly snarling at the escaping wolf. "_We'll meet another time, perhaps."

* * *

_

Abyss felt queasy as the daggers struck his core, and then he fell on his knees holding the bubbling black hole. "You… stupid little…"

Dagger narrowed her eyes, "Watch what you call me. My boyfriend might not like it!"

Cloak appeared and struck a powerful punch sending the spiraling Abyss literally spiraling backwards; his bands knotted and tied up as he fumbled on the ground. He now tried to untie himself but he was stuck, he never was that great a fighter. He had only one thing that made him a danger, he is a sadistic monster. His laugh now started to com out as the energy in his chest began to pulse and rise. Dagger felt uneasy so she asked "What is it doing?"

"Oh, well the energy you just gave me was pretty good. In fact, I felt it was CRITICAL!" he laughed a moment before explaining "The boost you just shot me was enough to go critical, there bye blowing myself up and this entire building to boot! I'll kill you, him, and anyone else for several miles around!"

"What? You'll kill yourself too!"

"Yep, but I'm just an energy pattern. Afterwards, I'll absorb the energy lost in the explosion and from people I killed to remake myself even stronger! It's going to be one hell of an explosion!" he started laughing again, but Cloak was the one that laughed and made this sadistic fiend ask "What's so funny?"

"Your plan is not a bad one. However, if you do that trick inside of a place with no energy but the energy you created, you'll die. Better yet, do it in a place that relies on the life of the one it is a part of and you'll cease to be?" Cloak's black tendrils coiled out and wrapped around Abyss, he screamed as the darkness started to suck him inside of Cloak. Abyss screamed as he was absorbed into the black empty being of Cloak, and then he realize this was what he had done all his life to innocent children for years and years. Cloak fell to his knees as his shadow body took in the monster Abyss, Dagger landed to his side asking "What have you just done?"

"This will keep him from going critical and killing us all. I did what I had to do, to save the innocent and you."

"You ass hole don't you dare say you did this for me," she caressed his cheek and his empty eyes looked at her with such pain she also had to show the pain in hers, "don't die like this, not for me and not like this."

He seemed to look at her with a pained expression, trying to force a smile he said "Oh, how I'd die like this if always the outcome was your safety." Then he screamed as a torrent rippled his body, he screamed and hollered as the energy seemed to crackle and snap all inside him. Then it stops and Cloak fell on his back allowing himself to cover his body with his cape. Dagger fell on her knees, praying it was not real, and praying he was somehow going to be there alive when she opened her eyes, "Dagger…" she opened her eyes with alarm, "I need… Pepto-Bismol." She lunged on him and hugged him hard, even kissing his lips as he moaned not just from that but also injury.

"How did it not kill you?" she asked as she kept her face inches from his, he smiled saying "I'm figuring he couldn't feed himself and blew up prematurely, then I just had the case of heartburn."

Dagger sighed but stood up, "Let's get going the roof is our last stop."

"We're leaving?"

"Nothing to do but try and survive, come on."

Cloak and Dagger phased out and through the ceilings to the roof. When they reached the top they found Mr. Fantastic and Thing looking through a hole, "What happened?"

Mr. Fantastic turned to them; Susan Richards was also now trying to see down the hole. "We were just coming over when some explosion occurred, Ben fell and my son also rolled into that chute. We don't know where he fell, he could be anywhere!"

Mr. Fantastic just about jumped into the hole to try and find his son but energy struck him and he fell unconscious. Dr. Victor Von Doom strolled over with the energy still sparking over his right fist; Ben snapped "What do you think you're doing?"

"Reed is more important alive than dead. He has a vast knowledge and the future will rely on me like him trying to save it. If anyone should go down there, it's me." He caught the Thing off guard, "Oh, don't be so surprised. I'm just saying that because Reed will need his precious bodyguard, and I feel I have a better chance of retrieving the boy than you do."

Thing gave a glare, he knew the real reason, "Susan, this guy…" he looked around, "Wait, where's Susan?"

Doom looked down the hole, "Blast, she must have gone invisible and went alone! Even I was not going to do that!" he turned to five robots following him, "Never mind, just gets Reed on the ship I'll be back soon. Till then just hold that ship, I'm not sure how long until the next one can actually land."

Thing gave a nod and dragged Reed with him on the transport. After Reed was on board he looked around to find some demons, he smiled as he ran in screaming "It's clobbering time!"

* * *

Hawkeye and Tigra had to move quickly. Up till now they didn't see much of anything. However, turning the corner they found a large assortment of dead bodies strung about. Tigra hissed at the scent, her fur stood up on end, "This is fresh, and someone was just here maybe a couple of seconds!"

They then hear a large rustling behind, then screaming. They turn to find a blur of knives slashing into the people they had following them, causing them to slap onto the walls almost as nothing but paste. Hawkeye pulled out an arrow and fired, the bolt was caught between two large knives flat between them, and then tossed about to be caught again and again in fancy twirls of the blades and then balancing acts of the knives, and now even the beeping arrow. The arrow is then dropped on its bottom to the floor. The arrow bounced up, but is kicked back toward Hawkeye where he grabs it, turns full around, then pulls back and fires the arrow again. The one who kicked the arrow now pulls up their belt, and this time clicks the arrow several times with their knives before spinning it on the tip of one blade, like a dish, then tossing five more knives with the other hand they finally flick the still spinning arrow. Hawkeye is quick, pulling out arrows he knocks out four of the five knives, the last one he grabs and fires back into the arrow finally causing it to blow up.

The fiendish fellow who played the strange game of hot potato, clapped his hands and nodded to a fine game, his shrill voice saying "Not a bad job there pal. I was starting to think you were going to drop the spud." His shoulder brandished a black bird that also seemed impressed, but then it just flew off the shoulder and kind of began to peck around the freshly killed people behind them. "Anyway, the name's Joka, that there is my partner Mr. Peckers." The bird cawed though Hawkeye and Tigra ignore it mostly, "So, how do you like my 'Parting the Red Sea' scene?" Joka turned taking out a flask and sipping a bit of his alcoholic beverage, "Hmm, not bad… not bad at all!"

Hawkeye just gave a disgusted look, "It's depraved and sadistic."

"Aw, I thought you weren't going to like it! Thanks that was nice. I'm still going to kill you," he screwed the lid on his flask and put it in his coat, "but thanks for the words." He then swung out some knives into his hands ready to start fighting. However, Hawkeye saw it coming and fired them both out of the monster's hands, and also pinned him on a wall with extra bolts. "Ah-huh, looks like someone has a good bit of skill!"

"I'm the best at what I do pal," he drew back an arrow, "Any last words?"

"Yeah, look out behind you!" he cackled but Hawkeye didn't look, but as Tigra roared he turned and fired. Those Joka had killed earlier were now starting to rise up and deformed versions of men and women began to come at them. They were like zombies, but far more hideous as their tormented forms bulged or grew out of shape. They began to attack but Tigra used her agile skills to dodge under these lumbering monsters and smash them apart. As she did that, Hawkeye pulled off archery like a pro taking heads and limbs of the beasts. After they were done, he turned back to find Joka was now free and pulling a cord on some large chainsaw, but the saw actually was a sword merely with the blade of a saw. Hawkeye had a twitch in his eye, this didn't look good.

Hawkeye rolled on under the swinging sword, its teeth ripped off a part of the wall before skidding off and swinging back around again. Hawk then tried blocking with his bow to have it snapped in half; he jumped having his uniform cut up from the strike, and nearly him. Tigra looked at it and jumped in from behind with two feet planted in the back. Joka screamed as he fell through a wall, she grinned but Hawk grabbed her arm screaming "Get out of here! I'll take care of this guy!"

"Are you crazy? That thing is more riled up than some kind of rattlesnake on the hottest day! Times like this we stick together!"

"No, times like this you run and get help! I'll hold him off!"

She had the mind to argue, but then he pulled rank. With that she reluctantly agreed and ran on ahead, he let out a sigh thanks to that. Turning back he fired several arrows at Joka, making him deflect them as he could with knives. Hawk saw a moment of weakness and fired on of his exploding arrows causing Joka to loose sight of his own opponent, Hawk now tried to find a special kind of arrow but in the confusion a certain Mr. Peckers flapped in and started to claw at his eyes. Hawk stumbled back blinded, swatting at the bird. He finally got it off and looked to see a set of red eyes in his own face, and then jumping about Hawk gurgled and spat his own blood. Jolting on the Chainsword, Hawk gargled a few words before Joka pried to still spinning weapon's blade from the man's chest. He then sighed deeply, and placed a foot on Hawk's bloodied chest, "I need a drink."

There was a cawing sound and Joka ducked from the flapping onslaught of his head, "Okay, okay I'll get one later! Let's just see what else we can get into."

* * *

Ben and Doc Ock had found the most unexpected of things, a group of people roaming the building with guns and such given out from Iron Man's armory. With them was the young girl Gwen, she saw Ben in his fire form and screamed "There you are Ben!" he jumped, seeing her he asked "Where's grandpa?"

"I don't know I got distracted then lost him. I was heading to the roof but luckily these guys found me. I'm, just following them on up, you coming too?"

"I sure could, how about it… Doc?" Doc Ock has already left, "He, the guy's a weird villain. I think all he was doing was saving me."

"What?" Gwen blinked in confusion but Ben just shook his head. They were heading towards the stairs when they heard something behind them in the next room. The men took and aimed their guns, the sound of screams and horror were coming from that room. Several got a little scared, they even kind of looked around nervous. The door then opened with a thunderous slam to the ground off the hinges, and stepping out was a dark figure in a hood and cape, with three claws clasping a dead body before dropping what seemed to be the remains of a woman in red with two sai weapons. Akaige gave a little chuckle at the men now preparing to fire at him.

As the bullets began to fly Akaige raised up his claw making a wall of red, the wall bent in where the bullets hit and back again. Those bullets they fired struck the men who fired them. Ben saw that coming and put himself in front of the barrage, it caused nothing to him but it would have killed Gwen. When the bullets stopped he said "Move it Gwen I don't want you to see the butt-kicking I'm about to dish out!" she ran behind the nearest corner

Ben started to roll his hands around a ball of fire; yeah this would be the biggest, fiercest fireball he ever made! Then, his Omnitrix kind of zonked out and he was a kid again. Akaige was charging down the corridor, a soldier jumped up with some kind of energy baton but a swift vertical slice and he's two soldiers, which Akaige pushed through both halves and still at Ben. Ben had frozen as his eyes were glued to the ethereal ones coming at him. Gwen saw Ben was stuck and she ran trying to pull him to safety, but he was just there. They both now watch as Akaige came closer, Gwen couldn't and dug her eyes into Ben's neck. Ben watched as those eyes were just about upon him. Akaige then started to run up the wall, still keeping contact he went over Ben and then down the opposite wall. Ben turned around to see Akaige now stop at the elevator, tap some buttons, and then enter as the doors opened. Afterwards he waved his fingers before the door closed; he listened as 'Krawling-Linkin Park' played in the elevator.

Ben was really surprised, "Why didn't he kill us?"

Just then a set of hands grabbed Ben and Gwen, Uncle Max was furious "You two best hope I don't get out of her alive, because there's a really big punishment for you!"

They headed towards the roof; Shredder snickered as Ben now gave a glare, "What?"

"Who's your girl friend?"

"Dude, she's my cousin!" Gwen gave a gagging gesture as Shredder stopped dead, a twitch in his eye he just walked behind them "You think running off is a problem gramps, you might want to explain incest tendencies to these two."

* * *

Franklin Richards slowly tried to find his away in the tower. He lives here, but he's never been alone before. Well, he's been alone, but he would rather be with his mommy and daddy, or Uncle Johnny and Benjamin. He turned into the lab, one of many in the tower. Here he looked down seeing a strange black bird that cawed at the boy, "Hi, I'm Franklin what's your name?"

Mr. Peckers looked at Franklin very unkind, especially as the tall lanky Joka tip toed behind the boy putting his finger to his lips, telling the bird not to say anything. Franklin felt uneasy as the bird just stared at him. Joka now pried out his chainsword and readied the pull the cord, but an invisible fist hit him back into a wall. Franklin turned, smiling, "Mommy!"

Susan grabbed her child turning visible, "Oh Franklin! I was so worried! We have to get going right now!"

"So soon?" The two look at Joka as he now pulled the line of his Chainsword, "I just started getting revved up, baby!"

Susan crafted her shield around her and the child, the sword sparked over the surface with his swing. Trying to saw through the shield Joka put more and more force down, but Susan out her boy down screaming "Go hide Franklin!"

Franklin did run and hide, but he made sure he could watch. He then heard that bird and looked to find it now flying at him. Franklin ran and tried to keep from the bird that was dangerously scratching his face, near the eyes. Susan dropped her shield letting the sword fall, but she crouched and projected her power at Joka like a ball making him stumble from his shoulder. Joka started to swing now more wildly, now and again tossing the sword in mid air to then toss a knife or two keeping Susan unbalanced. Latching the sword he would use the momentum of its fall to add in his cut, breaking more and more with the sword and his knives off Susan's shields. Susan got stuck up on a wall and the sword was in air, Joka caught it and swung down pinning her inside her field. His maniacal laughter filled the room as he knew she wasn't going to be able to move without getting sliced up. The more strain the more she lost her nerve, and soon enough she'd loose consciousness with the energy she was putting out. Her eyes rolled back and she fell, Joka squealed as he now pulled up his sword planning to chop her up like a wood chipper. Then this choking grip on his neck made Joka jerk, and he was being flung out the window and the building. Mr. Peckers stopped attacking Franklin and flew out the window cawing loudly after his partner.

The grip was in fact Victor Doom, he leaned down and swung the unconscious Susan onto his one shoulder and then turned to Franklin, the boy has been kidnapped and brainwashed by Doom countless times, and so he was more than weary of him. Doom offered his hand, "I know it may be strange but trust me. I'm here to help this time."

Franklin still was cautious, but he gave his hand to Doom following the evil genius. When they entered the hall, Doom turned to see the elevator to the roof… also, a large collection of demons was also here now. "Franklin, do me a favor. Sit here with your mother." Doom lays Susan down and turns to the demons all looking at him hungrily, "Oh, could you sing a song and close your eyes as well?" He nods and begins singing a song the remnants of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, Doom walked forward toward the demons with his eyes glowing a light blue color. Victor Von Doom is a man of great intellect. He has immersed himself in the world's arts of technology, science, and even magic. With his cape whipping around him Doom stood his ground and put his fingers tip to tip, pointing out his palms at the monsters. They took and charged, but they made not very far before a blue energy ripped through them leaving nothing but ashes. After that, Doom turned around and said "Okay, Franklin let's get going."

* * *

The roof and the last transport had landed. The robots were very close to all being blown to bits, heroes had taxed all their powers and stamina. Tigra reached the roof, finding Iron Man with Spawn she asked him something about Hawkeye, he checked his scanners and seemed too silent, she knew why. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, I knew he was going to do it." She sort of shook her head, "The jerk has a habit of playing the hero."

Iron Man lowered his head, "If I had just never left the team…"

"You did what you did, no changing that now. Remember what he said don't you?"

There was silence again, but they had little time to enjoy silence. Magneto with his X-men had finally made it; He waved the people onto the transport seeing it was now full, he said "Get going!" which it did.

This left the heroes alone, they had no transport? That's when one more landed, The Thing popped his head out saying "Guess what, I saved some seats for me and you lug nuts, you coming or what?" he then looked around "Where's Sue and Franklin?"

The elevator dinged, the heroes turned to greet their friends. The song playing from the elevator was 'Don't Phunk With My Heart-Black Eyed Peas' and they all jumped back as a dark figure with one large claw stepped out to greet them. He turned to the elevator and blasted a force that caused it to explode, "_Argh, that blasted music was driving me crazy!" _The heroes were all reacting in a way special to them alone. If they attacked they took chance of maybe getting killed, but at the same time they weren't sure they would be able to escape if he's right there. Tigra on the other hand saw him and felt rage as Hawkeye died because of this thing. She screamed in her charging snarl and when she started, others followed. "_Ooh, looks like I get to have some fun finally."_

Tigra lunged at the demon but he swung up his fist to make her go straight in the air. She at first was flailing about, but you know the saying about cats and their landing. She came back down feet first, landing on his head she bare her force to make him stumble, then she twisted her hands to flip his hood backwards on his head. As he was blinded Dante screamed taking out his two guns, firing them at will. Rorek seemed to glide on the ground to the side of the now shot-up demon, chanting and rolling his hands a powerful funnel of wind picked up Akaige and tossed him into the air. While in the air he turned his hood around, blinking a little as he had been disoriented, when did he get up here? Akaige now saw Iron Man and stretched his claws wide with the incoming metal-man. He swung the claws but Iron Man stopped and backed up, then fired two cannons from his hands. Akaige is flung to the ground where he rolled a little, then got up seeing Spawn coming at him with two chains. The demon latched his claw with the chains, and then planted one foot down hard swinging his whole bodyweight and strength with those chains. Spawn was being flung like a flail about the area, striking anyone who was too close. Those who were struck were first Tigra, then Iron Man and War Machine from the air; Akaige turned his head and swung Spawn at Thing, The turtles Don and Michel, but then he tossed Spawn into Spider Man who just came from the stairwell.

Rorek tried to channel a spell, something big. Akaige saw that and started to run at the mage with his fist clenched. Rorek stopped his spell to call a large staff which he blocked the fist with. Lightning started to fall and Rorek pulled back, Akaige jumped as the bolt nearly got him. More followed him along the roof as he scrambled to find the one causing this. He saw in mid-air Storm was channeling her elements so he jumped off Thing, and then ripped his wings to fly straight at her. Storm made a tornado sort of fall around her but that didn't stop the evil monster. He struck his fist through knocking her out cold, then letting the wind toss him he waited for it to die out to start flying again. Taking an airborne assault his claw collected dark energy, then he swung the hand loosely around making the energy somewhat burst about the roof as burning sparks. Punisher pulled out a rather powerful missile launcher aiming at Akaige. He kept his sights and fired, but as the flash of the rocket flared he lost track of Akaige. His ears pick up as Akaige was then on the ground, he lowered the launcher to see Akaige running at him with those claws spreading, then jumping over his viewer Akaige spun over the Punisher to then land spryly. Punisher felt the blood rushing out from his shoulders, and the launcher that had been broken from the attack. He just kind of grinned, and then fell on his knees as his shoulders split apart leaving his upper torso in three sections.

Akaige looked about seeing the change in faces around him; it was good they were off task now. He only had that a moment as large metal spikes began to rip from the ground. Pipes and studs were ripped up and began to try and pierce the demon at any chance. Magneto levitated down with his hands glowing in energy, the metal acted as extensions of his mind. Akaige jumped over one beam and then landed on the tip of another with his two feet, it shook and he jumped off as it ripped into millions of splinters. Akaige landed on a slanted metal and slid down its side down toward the ground, where tons of jagged metal spikes began gathering or ripping from the ground. Akaige's wings ripped up and he flapped off the slanted metal, he flew upward as that metal began to now shake and almost slammed over him like some kind of spring mouse trap. Akaige flew in with his fists ready but Magneto levitated backwards, and two large machines from the labs below broke out of the ground and slammed together creating a large explosion.

It looked pretty good, so Magneto stepped down running over to Storm. "Storm, are you okay?"

She slowly stirred awake and smiled, "Yes, I'm fine."

"_Not for long."_ The fires moved out of way as Akaige stepped out from them, turning to his left he brushed away a flame on his cape. He now started to storm toward Magneto who crafted a field of magnetic energy. Tigra lunged but Akaige grabbed her by the neck and tossed her from his sight. Ice Man ran in creating spikes of ice and firing them, but Akaige let the ice stab his body making Ice Man gawk, and then get slapped from the face spinning him to the ground. Akaige seemed only intent on Magneto, even with Husk lunging in with her arms as large blades he just clacked his claws on the metal before finally knocking her arms back, then kicking her in the gut and then tugging her head to swing her behind himself.

Akaige was about to attack Magneto but Spawn landed to fire his guns, next Akaige was being surrounded which made him scream before they started to assault him. Michel swung his nun chucks, but Akaige cracked his claw before a drop-knee dodge and back-swing of his claw to the ankle, Michel twisted at the ankle and then with speed useable Akaige stood up into a shoulder ram that sent Michel backwards into Spawn. Akaige then grabbed the wrist of Spiderman as he swung a punch, kicked his gut, and then twisted the wrist and Spiderman into Raphael to their sides. Akaige saw the incoming blast from the air, so his next attack was Donatello pulling him by the belt and into the beam. The beam popped on Don's shell which made him scream, but Akaige grabbed the turtle's shoulders to flip over to his back and then fling the turtle overhead into the shooter, War Machine.

Akaige swung his fist into Dante, literally, making the half demon warrior's eyes bulge with the three fingers in his chest and raising him over head with only the one arm. Holding him over his head, Akaige's claws had dug straight through the armor and chest to hold him there letting blood drip onto his hood and shoulders, down the toned frame he stood in the center of the still dazed fighters at his feet. Akaige gave one look up, and quickly thrust Dante to the side and Akaige merely rolled his neck soaking it in for that moment, "_Ah, this has been long overdo today."_

Akaige now looked to Magneto and said "_Let's not forget about you!"_

There is a strange rumbling and Akaige turned to have a rolling orange and white thing hit him, it flung him far off the tower and toward the grounds below. The round thing slowed and stopped, then showed to be a large alien with the Omnitrix, "Whoa, that was pretty close wasn't it grandpa?"

Max and Gwen came in, along with Shredder. The three looked about seeing the devastation left behind from that fiend. Rorek was now beginning to heal Dante, but he screamed "I'm fine," he coughed "trust me these things happen all the damn time."

The others also were getting up but found Akaige now flying in place at the side of the building. He dropped onto the railing and let his cape wrap around himself. Then, his cape flew open and many obsidian protrusions seemed to just sprout off toward the heroes. That was stopped from an invisible shield; everyone realized Susan Richards has now come to the fray. Doom held her over his shoulder but she still had the power to use her ability. Doom spoke up "I suggest we get out of here now!" he was headed towards the transport as the others seemed to be worried with Akaige. He gave a stern look but when stepping forward he bumped into something, Susan strained herself after he swung his claws over her field. It wouldn't be long she could hold him in that field. The heroes began to run onto the ship; Ben stopped and turned around screaming "Hey, why didn't you kill me before?"

Akaige raised a brow between his strikes, seeing Gwen he soon realized that the boy and that creature were the same, "_That's simple, you were a child and I don't kill children unless it serves my purpose." _Akaige struck and this time the field broke as Susan fell unconscious. Spiderman looked back, then to the others. He then jumped off the door and fired up his boosters, thanks to Iron Man's suit; he now flew in and struck a fist on Akaige's jaw. "You guys go on! I can take care of this!"

"What?" Iron Man snapped over his intercom, "You idiot! You can't kill that thing alone!"

Spiderman spun his webbing causing Akaige's feet to be entangled, it gave him a moment to scream "I know that just go! I have a responsibility to see this through!"

Doom shut the door, even if he was threatened and called coward he merely passed those who saw that and entered the control room. Reed has awoken, and taking command of the ship he turned about to see Doom. They share glances but eventually pass onto the work at hand. Doom took his seat at the center, and Reed kept piloting the ship. "Where are we going?"

"Anywhere but here Reed," he sighed as he slumped into his seat, "yes anywhere but here."

Spiderman swung his fist as he heard the ship leaving, then he smiled inside the suit. Akaige pulled the stringing off his legs and moved on the mechanical hero. His claws got close enough to peel armor, but Spiderman pulled back even with the injuries. His boosters fired and he then came forward toppling Akaige, they grab on and tumble a bit. The two are on the ground rolling and swinging on each other like mad men. It became a brawl, Spiderman used even a kick to the groin as Akaige started clawing the face, and they just went at it. Spiderman put his foot in Akaige's chest and fired it off, Akaige stumbled onto his back and Spiderman lunged forward. He stopped, and gasped as the claws went into the exposed chest and dug deeply. Akaige looked this hero in the eyes of the machine, and breathed deeply in his face before kicking him off his claws. Standing up, Akaige strolled over and spread his claws open, scoffing, "_So much for you hero."_ That was when he felt a pain in his back.

Akaige turned around to the woman, Wendy, with a pistol in her hands shaking nervously and frightened. She saw Punisher die, and she fell into shock. However, she gained her confidence and fired again this time making Akaige's shoulder jump back. "_Stop that! It's annoying!" _she fired this time into his hood, he shook his head screaming "_I said stop you little…"_ again, and again, she fired round after round even as he was coming stomping over with his claw flexing. She stood there clicking the trigger even with no bullets, Akaige stopped with the bullet pressing on his chest and letting his angry eyes glow, and he struck the gun before grabbing Wendy by the throat. He dragged her to the edge, and she thought he was going to toss her off making her scream in his ear, he grimaced from the noise. Spiderman lunged off the ground to attack Akaige but he swung his fist around and grabbed him, tossing him off the railing instead. Akaige looked down and watched as Spiderman fell and eventually turned on his boosters. Akaige tossed Wendy to the side, but quickly took and bound her legs and arms with railing. "_You going to shoot me anymore?"_ she looked at him blankly but still sniffling. "_Didn't think so. Now sit back and enjoy the show!"_ Spiderman has reached the top and this time he opened up compartments on his arms, making lasers that were similar to Iron Man's "_By the look of it this might be getting good!"

* * *

_

With white pillars and bright surroundings this entranceway has been a war zone. Raven took her demonic form and has been battling Sephiroth some time now. She jumped over the incoming swipes and slashes to now charge forward with her claws and ripping away at his being. Sephiroth took several hits, but it made him scream and call the power he had. The ground shook and splintered large rocks up that glowed with his aura. The rocks sped around him, took direction as he willed. One rock was coming on Raven so she jumped and grabbed it to ride it along. She had trouble seeing as the rock moved with awesome speed, but she saw another one coming on her so she leapt off the stone and onto another. She continued to do this as they came closer and closer to him. Sephiroth saw her approach and scoffed, he then caused the rocks to all come up and then down, she barely escaped the explosions they made.

Raven rolled out from the blast and started to get up but he was on her almost as fast. Raven turned up to see his high-raised sword coming down on a vertical swing. She screamed and lunged forward cutting his chest, then as he lost his control she swung around again and slashed his face. Sephiroth grabbed the wound on his face and stumbled back, sidestepping he let his sword drag on the ground, "I will not become a memory; I will not be forgotten!"

Raven let her sick smile grow, "I don't care about that. You're already dead and most likely forgotten. Why don't you just rest in peace?"

"No!" the two dash beside one another, and skid to a stop. Raven's fangs shift as she stood up, grumbling. Sephiroth turned his head sheepishly as his side bleeds profusely, "I will never… be in peace, mother?"

His body disappeared but this time there was not a blackness or feather, he was just gone. Raven's body began to lessen its darkness and she returned to her normal gothic attire, the blue and black stuff. "Well, time to get this over with."

"Over, Sha-lah!"

Raven walked into the council and found two beings in their ethereal bodies lounging about, when she entered the dragon Bahamut jumped up, "Oh, she finally made it!" he turned to his brother who was sleeping, he coughed but Leviathan snored louder. Bahamut gave a glare and then slapped his tail, this time Leviathan popped up his head and blinked at Raven, "Oh, when did she get here?"

Raven did a curtsy and bow, "I know this is where it began, my quest. I was told here I'll end it."

Bahamut nods to her, "You'll end one but there is still another one. The quest to save your world is still at hand. With it, the quest to save all worlds may also be beginning."

"I un…" Raven looks up freaked out "Wait, what was that?"

Leviathan gave a little look up, "Well, let's see… you explain it to her."

Raven felt a shift and turned to find behind her a man in all silver armor, and hair pointed with horn like tuffs. The woman next to him wore a long red dress and sat in a throne like a large web. "Hello, I am the…"

"Beyonder and Madam Webb, I read about you in Fate's study." Raven sort of got a look of surprise, "What is going on?"

Webb sort of smiled to the young girl and her appetite for knowledge, or maybe knowing she's just looking to get this done with. "Very well, allow us to explain that which has been done, and yet also undone."

.Raven got a little confused, but Beyonder explained what he could, "You have learned there was something that happened to distort time. In essence, it was never meant to happen this war with demons or Trigon having claim to this world. You were meant to have died, along with the other titans, and this all was in fact meant to bring about a very different outcome." Raven gave a nod, "The time that was meant to play would have been an event called 'First Impact' and in turn would allow many events to occur. First, a virus called the Legacy Virus would begin to appear killing mutants at an alarming rate; in part this virus was engineered and released by En Sabah Nur in his attempt to remove all weak mutants from the collective gene-pools. En Sabah Nur would then take name of Apocalypse, and begin a war to eradicate countless human and mutant lives to ensure a perfect world as he saw it. During this, a power called Alter power would appear and in time this would bring the end of Apocalypse. His defeat, and several years later the world is in a more utopian peace. However, peace is quite difficult and sure enough people felt the events should not have been with the killings and virus. One such a man was a mutant who had survived, his name is Bishop. He met a man and the two organized the plan to send Bishop into the past 12 years before the impact, to prevent it and the legacy virus that in turn killed Bishop's family, his mother and father. However, he did not know he was being used to in fact make a connection to the two time-parallels and in change bring a horrifying tragedy."

Raven kind of looked in awe, "You made that virus, killed millions, and in turn say he committed a travesty?"

"Would you have rather what's happening now?" Webb added, Raven shook her head and she began to tell the rest. "As you now see, the time distortion has made events lapse over. Like a river, the future that Bishop came from, and the time he distorted have become two flows in their stream. They exist over one another and anything could cause a massive clash of the timelines and reality themselves could falter in part. Bishop had not the knowledge that this was what his friend wanted. The one being who could distort reality is the same being chosen to commit the first impact and bring about Alter powers in the first place. This being is the one they called, Atomsk."

"Why Atomsk? What makes him so special?"

"Haruko has only a fraction of his power and she can cause the borders of reality and fiction to clash, so much one is unknown to the other. Atomsk is the essence of this, and Alter power relies on the imagination and wills of those who have been altered. After the scientists learned of Atomsk 12 years before his arrival to cause 'First Impact' they made plans to deal with him when the time came. Atomsk was feared long before that but his power had not been a threat to this world of yours. When he came, Superman and the ones called NERV stopped him. After this it was believed he had been destroyed or shipped into space, but NERV instead designed facilities to house the entity and experiment on him. NERV is now beginning its final stages of the process they call Chrono-Erosion, and with it the timelines will crash together causing a massive distortion that may blink all existence into nothingness. We can not allow that to happen."

"Then why don't you stop it?"

Leviathan laughed, "Mortals are given a free will, and because of it we try only to steer you the way you must but not force it. We don't exactly like it, but since you caused the mess we're going to let you try and fix it. If we cleaned up all the messes mortals cause then you'd just keep going until you finally did destroy all reality."

Raven sort of understood, so she asked "Wait, what about the Kagejin? How do they fit into this?"

"In order to ensure NERV would be stopped we had to make a choice. After Trigon brought his idea to allow Akaige and his Kagejin attack, we realized it was perfect. The timeline was meant to have a great tragedy occur and in such these monsters fit that sense of description. The Kagejin will not be tempted to use NERV for more power unlike other evil beings would, and we have used Akaige to stop events like this before. He may be evil but somehow he's come in handy for a demon."

Raven had a distasteful glare, "Like an ace in the hole you let him ruin our world, and hope he just won't get too jumpy."

"If you mortals didn't cause this mess your world would not be in the situation it is."

* * *

NERV prison section had one large glass cell where two men in armor fitting and techno-gear stood guard. In it a black man was doing push-ups, and then he heard the guard at the door tap the glass, "What?" his voice reached out in an aggressive tone frightening to most. The guard asked "You ready for your meal?"

The black man stood up, his bare chest heaved up and down showing muscle after muscle. He had nothing but exercise to keep him busy in this detainment cell. He wore a pair of black sweatpants; he grabbed a black T-shirt and swung it over his head to now latch a pendant around his neck. On his right wrist was a device strange looking it was glowing with several buttons. His right eye was white and dead, but the left had a strong brown color. He walked to the door, and asked "Where's my food?"

"Oh, here it is!" the guard dropped the plate, Bishop glared as he now began to laugh. "They'll send you another one but maybe in the meantime you can try to not be so stuck up."

Bishop would have strangled him if he could. He instead had to settle for when he was being flung into a wall incased by black energy. Bishop was surprised, but soon the hooded girl phased from a portal. Raven swiped her hand over the device holding the door and soon it slid open, Bishop walked out with a scowl, but soon as he was there out of the cell he smiled and hugged her. "Aw man, thank you god! I knew I'd be free sooner or later, am I glad to see you Raven?"

Raven looked startled; she pulled out of his hug and asked "How do you know me?"

"Oh, well in the future I'm from you are a legend. I could explain but really I just want to get out of here!"

She agreed and went to make a portal but a man was in her way. Ansem was not wearing his black suit but his shadow seemed to be very anxious, "Raven I've been expecting you! What ever did take you so long?"

Raven realized this man's eyes were the ones she saw with Beast Boy, she then asked "Are you the one who caused the Chrono-Erosion?"

Ansem shook his head "No, that was Gendo. He wishes to make the gods pay for taking his precious wife from him. I merely offered a means, and he took it."

Bishop couldn't believe it. He clenched his fists and screamed "He's done all this to get back at god for his wife? I can't believe it; I even helped to cause this!"

Ansem smiled with that idea, "You did. Oh, don't worry though I'm sure it will all work for the best."

Raven now asked, "Who or what are you?"

"My name is Ansem, and I am a Heartless. I'm telling you this because you're not leaving here alive!" his shadow now jumped up as the strange guardian he used to kill Fury, but Raven's aura glowed bright white and Ansem and his Heartless Guardian were blinded. When the light was gone, they searched to see both had escaped. Ansem would not be so upset if someone else had not seen his failure. Ansem turned slowly to the two sets of flaming eyes that burned even brighter than his own, now narrowing on Ansem informing him of his failure.

* * *

Raven returned to the Watchtower where many questions came. She decided to explain it all. She explained everything about En Sabah Nur, Chrono-Erosion, and now the NERV group that even if she had saved Bishop she still had no clue where it was. There was a long discussion but Raven went to bed. She was tired, and they were just going agitate her if she explained it too much. She lay onto a bed with her leotard but no cape. Raven lay there and looked at the ceiling waiting, and waiting.

The sound of a swirling darkness and she sat up quickly. Raven narrowed her eyes as the hooded figure stepped forward, his claw loosely at his side, "_What is it you called someone like me here in such an urgency?"_

"Simple Akaige, we need to talk."

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, Justice League, X-men: Evolution, X-men: Comics, Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Devil May Cry, Tenchi Muyo, FLCL, Yu-Yu-Hakusho, Case Files, Ben 10, Danny Phantom, Power Puff Girls, Avengers, Ultron, Final Fantasy, Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Static Shock, Dragon Ball Z, Neo Genesis Evangelion, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Kingdom Hearts (Heartless), and anything else I may have forgot. I take credit only for those lovely little Kagejin and a bit of the story. Psychic Werewolf Assassin is the one who introduced me to Elementalism and the ideas for the Werewolf Enclave's fight kind of was a mix of his Hunter storyline. Metal Overlord 2.0 is the one who came up with Joka, Mr. Peckers, and Orochimaru so they are his creations as well.

Note: There is a forum in my Pakkrat's Nesting Grounds for this story. I'm going to talk about the story, characters, and among other things whatever I can answer when asked. I figured it would be fun to see what happens now and again. Hope you ladies and gents like the new chapter and twists, it sure has been a while since I last updated…


	12. Organization Before Oblivion

The Age of Akaige

By: Pakkrat

Chapter 12 Organization before Oblivion

There was her and the proposal, the dark entity Akaige standing with a most confused look, and finally the demon raised his head saying "_Well, that is a very compelling argument. However, you forgot one little detail my dear." _Raven got a concerned look as Akaige looked to her again, "_You see, I want to kill you and all your friends, where as your plan has me helping them stay alive. So, yeah, thanks for the offer but,"_ a portal opened which he was about to leave through, "_I'll have to pass on the uniting our forces idea."_

"No, you can't!" she jumped up from her bed and came toward him, but swinging his claw he snapped "_Watch me you little…" _his eyes popped, she had her arms round his waist and… she was… "_Wh-what are… are you crying?" _she was, and haggardly she wept and moaned, almost a sad desperate muffled cry came one after and another, which Akaige looked around the room soon trying to figure out what has just happened. "_Gah, what the… hold it! Stop this instant!" _He gave a most distasteful glare while growling, "_I will destroy you."_ It didn't work, so his claw ripped a lamp from the wall and he began to smack her screaming, "_Bad Raven, bad! Let go of the dark lord, let go!"_ But that didn't work either. He finally took the lamp and wedged it between them, and with all the force he could this popped her off him and onto the bed again, where he quickly swung his arm causing it to wrap over the mattress and her several times. Now he took several deep breaths, and with what was absolute and utter confusion mixed with terror, asked "_By all that is dark and indecent, what is wrong with you?"_

Akaige now watched as tears were rolling down her cheeks, Raven dug her face into a pillow screaming "Get out, just leave! I don't need you, I don't need anyone!"

His eyes quirked and he sort of chuckled saying "_How pathetic."_

Her eyes darted to him quickly, and snapping she asked "What did you call me?"

"_Oh, you have trouble hearing over all your incessant crying?"_ he snickered as she started to grind her teeth; giving notice he did cause a nerve to be raw. "_Well, let me explain something to you. This little thing of you, how sad it is you're being forced into this, and how everyone is against you and your pathetic cries for help add up to one thing. You're not only pathetic, but an utter and incompetent weakling!"_

Raven got mad, and in that she forged her soul self phasing through the arm that had her bound, then flew on Akaige smacking him onto the nearest wall where her large bird form pinned him instead. After a moment her form dissipated to have her levitating and holding him by the shoulders, her energy sent off sparks that solidify as some mystical energy shackles holding him in her grasp now. "You mind rephrasing that?"

Akaige didn't rephrase, as much restate, "_You feel inferior because all around you is in chaos. You wish to make order, but that is impossible. You have been given more skill, power and knowledge but yet your problems persist,"_ Raven feels herself flung back by her hood, his claw stretching and slamming her to the bed. Shifting up, she felt a force on her back, Akaige pressed her down from behind and screamed "_If you want to do something than do it! Otherwise, you waste both our times!"_

Raven now squirmed under his pin, but looking out she snarled "I want to do only one thing. I want to join our forces, to combine our efforts against an equal enemy! Why can't you see that?" and so she swung herself from the one side, then the other with excess forces of her powers launching Akaige onto the ground next to the bed. She leapt onto his stomach, and her claws extended to five times their size before she bore them into his shoulders, a wail of rage came in his pain but slight delight with her slow hiss. "You get the point? We need to work together, or else we both loose."

"_Yes, well let me ask you what would happen if our forces did join?" _he shifted his body but the nails dug deeper, a groan and he then said "_You seem to be thinking on a lower tier, how about this? Would you like taking a job next to the same guy who slaughtered, butchered and possibly devoured your family's corpses?"_

Raven hadn't thought of it that way, how would most people even her fellow Titans feel with this? She wouldn't be upset with her father Trigon, she knew how he was, so what would it be like if the Titans had been killed and she was asked to join these monsters? She kind of cringed, and said "Okay I get the point." She removed her claws to stand, letting them turn to normal again "It was a bad idea, huh?" Akaige got up brushing his shoulders, and then turning to her he shrugged, she sat on her bed and thought a moment, "I suppose a secret alliance is out of the question, I mean, one person found out it would be the biggest scandal since the time Spider-Man was caught cheating with the Black Cat on his wife. Heck, if someone saw me talking to you right now they'd probably…"

Just then a knock at the door alarmed the two of them; Raven jumped asking "Who is it?"

"It's me girl, open up!" Cyborg's voice sounded troubled. She looked to Akaige wide-eyed, "Um, hide!"

He looks around, then snaps "_Where you daffy wench?"_

A slight glare, then quirking smile she pushed her palms on him at an angle where several hundred black needles struck him onto the roof. He screamed and she said "Quiet down! You want him to hear you?"

"_Oh, I'm sorry!"_ he snapped with sarcasm flushing his lips, "_The fact I'm riddled in pointed magic points must have confused the concern of a metal idiot trying to see you. I'll be more considerate, and bleed somewhere else more quietly!"_ she now Shushed him and he lowly mumbled something, she glared and he growled, "_You heard me."_

The door opened a slight, Raven got a half of her face to show to Cyborg's own human face, "What is it?"

"People are really upset out here, we need help with some things." He now tried to look over her asking "Is there someone in there with you, I thought I heard some screaming?"

"It's nothing… just, uh." She felt the shifting on her shoulder and glad they were still with her, she said "It's just the Sha-lah."

"Sha-lah, Sha-lah!"

"Oh," he watched the door close, "Well, we'll be waiting in the main foyer you better hurry before all hell breaks loose."

Raven took a moment to sigh, and then she looked up as Akaige asked "_You forget something?"_

"No."

"_Oh, you're a riot. Now get me down before I really get…"_ she waved her hand with a roll of her eyes, her spikes disappeared in a flash and Akaige was falling with a great thud. He growled into the floor, "_Urge to slaughter, rising."_

Raven sat half on her bed, and half tittering on its edge as he was getting up. Looking to her, his glare became most aggressive for obvious reasons. She was too busy to care, more trying to think of what she was doing, "Like I said that secret alliance is a mess waiting to happen. If the others here found out I was even talking to you…"

"_Agreed, so I'll be on my way and…"_

"Hold it!" she caused him to stop what he was thinking, "I admit the idea of an alliance would be bad, not only because how the feelings and ideals conflict but we still have the major issue. There's a dangerous force out there trying to destroy us both. We have to do something about it, and now."

There is a silence… a long silence at that.

"_Well, I'm waiting?"_

She gave a glare asking "Oh yeah, then what would you do?"

Akaige jumped in on her causing her to fly off the bed, his finger up in exclamation he now turned to her on the side of the bed saying "_Now, you're starting to use your head! If you can't think of it, ask someone with the proper experience, and if anyone has that it's the dark lord who has been in eons of wars from large, to small and one sided, to the incredibly equal corners."_ He now swung himself onto the bed sitting with his legs crossed and patting a seat next to him, she reluctantly got up and sat to listen to him. "_Well you keep looking at it from a standpoint of your needs, and your problems but what of our opponent? Hmm?"_

Raven was suddenly brought to realize, that their opponent is in the same problem as them! That's right; NERV has two forces to worry over just like her! In fact, somehow the Kagejin seemed a bit more a pain to be worrying over than NERV, but only as she doesn't know what or who is at the center of NERV. "I get it now! So as long as we're at a disadvantage so are they!"

"_Correct, we could join forces but in such they would know what they are against. That allows them to set a division of our forces, cause morale and distrust within the hierarchy so to turn our powers against us. So, rather than give them the option I propose not joining our powers and instead playing against them instead!"_

Raven gave a less pleased glare, "That and you can continue to kill more innocent people."

"_See, now you're catching on!"_ as delighted he was, she got a bit ill but listened when Akaige spoke again. "_Well, that is your mess I have my own. I do feel," _he stands to create a portal, "_Now is a time for me to leave."_

Raven gave a nod, she was actually glad to see him go. But she stopped to say "I'm a little surprised you helped me… or, even yourself with helping me."

"_You'd be surprised what I'll do to attain the upper hand." _She gave a nod, and he kind of stopped scratching his chin. "_There is another reason I helped you tonight."_ She looked at him confused as he stepped one foot through the portal, "_You see I saw something in you that made me realize, of all the mortals, the beings, the heroes and the adversaries I have none of them compare to the pleasure of trying to kill the last time we fought." _He chuckled as she blushed, "_Oh, and the fact we both like to be on top."_

He dodged into the hole as the lamp she flung missed him as that was a disturbing thing he just said. Raven now glared heatedly at the lamp, and only the little voices "On top, Sha-Lah!" made her grimace before turning to her door so she could make way to the main foyer. She then opened the door finding Cyborg; he snaps "What is taking you so long?"

Raven went to speak, but the Sha-Lah scream, "On top, Sha-Lah!"

"Argh, let's just go Cyborg!"

* * *

The main foyer is in total and utter chaos. At one end was the Green Lantern screaming across the table to Dr. Doom, who even though saved the teams of Baxter Building and several hundreds of innocent people, seemed to be at the mercy of accusations of the Justice League for years of dictatorial and excessive schemes for evil. To Doom's defense were the villains, Shredder and Venom, even the mutants Magneto and Storm, though she was not a villain. Then the young Hive Five got into this, and then came the rest of the heroes and villains arguing and snapping out things between the two sides.

When Raven entered she sure felt annoyed, enough to whistle not getting any response at all leading to screaming, and after that failed she slapped her hands together chanting "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

The entire room got swallowed up in blackness, and the heroes and the villains all were soon suspended by this black aura. Cyborg, Robin, Starfire, and Beast Boy were unaffected by the force and as the room was silent, Beast Boy whispered "Dude…"

Raven let out a deep sigh before allowing Doom and Lantern free, which they both look around seeing what she's done. Lantern turns to her with so much hate; she just ignores him and asks "Victor, what's going on here?"

Victor Von Doom moves his head to her but still he's captivated with the imprisoned members, "Well, Lantern here was arguing with me about my recent actions. I told him it had nothing to do with him, and thus we were fighting over my future."

"He should be incarcerated! The chances are he only helped to keep from some actual jail time!"

Doom and Lantern begin screaming no, one then the other, but soon both go off at the same time. It got to the point Raven snapped and flung her hands sending them both up on the wall. With her, well, captive audience; Raven stood to them all saying "This is going to stop! We have too much to worry over than some rivalries and mixed problems in the past! Look out there, just look!" she pointed them to the windows to Earth, which seemed gray and dying now compared to a once lush and beautiful world, "You think we can continue to fight like this while thousands, no, millions are down there fending for their lives? We're not over yet, and the war hasn't even really begun! This was about foot holding, and they have a hell of a lot of foothold in the world now. If we turn on each other, we loose. Do you all understand?" the figures all nod, or grumble a response; she lets them go and says "Good! Because, if I so much as fell someone is going to pick a fight over something like how you're a better person," she points to Lantern who sneers, "Or how you're the embodiment of power," she points to Victor Doom who crossed his arms at this accusation, "I swear, the next thing will be the last thing you ever do! You all got that?"

There are the nodding and argument remarks, but Shredder asks with a slight agitation, "Who let this whelp in charge?"

Raven gave a quick look, but smiled saying "If you want to be the boss fine. Just don't act it when I'm in the same room!" she then left with her friends following quickly.

Shredder watched as she was gone, and said "Hey, I like that one."

Batman gave a nod now in his original outfit, "I know."

Lantern gave a snort saying "Ah, he's still a metal-wearing jerk."

"And you're a fashion-conscious jewel-bedazzling fruit; we call it even for now?" Doom has been given a glare of death, but Lantern offered his hand. Doom was reaching for it, but pulled his hand away saying "I actually have better things to do, than to pass dry wits with a fellow so bellow my standards." At that Doom left as Lantern grit his teeth, and The Thing only shook his head saying "Man, that metal dork is a hand full!"

* * *

Raven stormed down the halls as her friends chased her; soon Robin snatched her arm and asked "Raven, what was all of that back there?"

"Those idiots needed a wake up call! I gave it to them, Richard!" Robin was surprised she used his name like that, let alone as she pulled away and only to be confronted by Beast Boy, "Get out of my way, I need some time to think. I need time to plan and to prepare." she felt tears but pushed them back, "I have to do everything, to get things back and…"

Beast Boy gave his smile, the reassuring one that she often had to give into. "Raven, how about we come along? We can help you know?"

"Yeah, we're a team girl!" Cyborg flung his arm around her shoulder saying "It's the Teen Titans, plural, meaning more than one!"

Starfire latched the dark titan in a joyous hug, and Raven had a weak grin between the shades of blue, "Please friend, and let us come with to allow you no longer the time of the dark brooding?"

Raven, in a gasp first said "I don't…" then the grip tightened and she squealed, "Star, air need, you come."

"We may come! How glorious!" Starfire released her friend and as Raven regained her air she said "I shall not disappoint you my friend!"

She gasped and wheezed, but in a look up she said "Sure thing, Star. Whatever, you have, to say." Then she got a full second wind and turned to Robin who looked upset, "Sorry about how I snapped at you." She then realized he wasn't looking at her but actually ahead of them, they all turn seeing a familiar set of blue eyes with blonde hair…

"Hi guys," Terra shifted her foot nervously, "I was looking all around and…" she is grasped between a rock and a hard place, or rather Beast Boy and Starfire who each are squeezing her into a putty like softness. Terra gets free and coughs a bit; smiling at this attention she looks up beginning to frown with the three others glaring her down. She stood up uneasy from their looks. "So, how have you all been?"

"Pretty good, aside from the time you did try to destroy us." Cyborg shrugged, "Though, after that came Brother Blood, Trigon, and now these things. I guess all and all it's like old times."

Beast Boy was about to say something on her behalf, but she put a hand on his chest signaling she didn't need his help now. "Listen, I know what I did a while back was wrong. I also know I can't excuse myself or explain myself either! That doesn't matter though, because we're in a really big bind here and I'm not only here, I'm a Titan remember? So, I'm here to rejoin the team. That's all." She lowered her head now, "I only hope that you guys will all have me."

To answer, Cyborg swooped her up and rubbed cheeks with her screaming "Aw, girl! I forgave you the second I saw you come around the corner… well, Robin saw you but you know what I mean!"

Robin gave a leader-like nod, saying "You know you're welcome back. Anytime, and anywhere Titans are forever!"

She was let down and she saw Raven, offering her hand Raven raised her own and the two shook hands. Raven saw something of a glimpse, a school, two girls, some friends, and then the explosions… then it stopped. Raven was puzzled, but she let herself pull off the contact leaving Beast Boy taking the others with him. Terra followed before seeing Raven, she peeled out telling them she'd meet them later, and turning to Raven she asked "Did you see it? What happened I mean?"

Raven shook her head no, "I saw a glimpse of you and a school, but that's it."

Terra shook her head and gave a weak smile, "Yeah, that's my old school. Well, it was my school before those monsters came. The Kagejin and all caused a lot of problems for me." She shifted uneasily, "Then, as those things cornered me and the girls some strange orb just appeared, it said it wanted to give me the past memories and abilities of a girl who was destroyed a while ago, the girl was named Terra."

"Hold up, so you may not even be the real Terra?"

"I guess I can't be sure. I mean, I agreed and I remember all the things of being Terra, but I could just as well be some schoolgirl who got forced into being Terra. I don't know I just know I had to do it. If I didn't, my friends would have been killed…"

Raven noticed Terra was getting ready to cry, so she gave a nod saying "its okay Terra do not worry. I understand now don't cry."

Terra gave a nod and then she looked startled, Raven turned seeing the tall Time Trapper had returned, "That's the guy! That's the guy who brought me back, or altered me…" she blinked with a confused expression as Raven stood ready to fight.

"Calm yourselves, I knew in time you would reunite and eventually speak of my deeds." They stopped being prepared to fight, so he too let his demeanor go less edgy, "I suppose the others could join us as well?" the two girls turn embarrassed as the four other titans peeked slowly around the corner, to join in listening as Trapper explained himself. "What I did was infuse the past memories of Terra into this girl, yet if she was Terra or not is beyond even my own comprehension. She is the most part Terra's memories in a body that once was a school girl, and as such her memories of her powers also have manifested from her past infused memories. It was the only choice I had, as Raven was in danger by Thanos we acted accordingly and as you see when it happened again we chose to collect Titan as soon as possible. All that is done is done with the best intentions at heart."

Beast Boy put his hand on Terra's shoulder as she felt even more insecure, but his smile cut through it all as he said "Don't worry, you're the real Terra to me."

She hugged him as the others gave their little remarks. Raven asked "Why couldn't you be sure that Terra is Terra, or another Terra?"

He gave a shrug, "There are things that I suppose I'm either not meant to know, or can not find. It is best you just move on girl." And he slowly disappeared. The titans took the sign and left, they decided now is the best time to get some lunch… or dinner.

* * *

The horrid beating of the heart, it struck deep unto his very soul. Well, if he had one, for Ansem lye on the ground screaming in screams that never exited his lungs and throat, but played his face with tormented muscles and expressions showing how greatly he was now in pain. As his body is racked with this pain and eyes go blank from delusion, his emblem of a heart beats in colors red at every beating sensation. He is in a tremendous pain while his heart beats and it beats more as the red flaring eyes look on him from the darkness of the laboratory. The heart beats now stopped, slowly, and left a moment for all the screams to manifest into one moment of sufferable pain. Ansem wailed like a Scottish Banshee from old, and even if this room is sound-proof the faintest remnants escaped from the excessive degrees of pain so people hear a light whimper, not the damning screams themselves. Ansem now allowed his mind to return, and the sweat matted with tears over his face before regaining a minor clasp of his position.

Looking to the callous eyes that burn greater than his own, a moment his face registers a segment of rage before hiding it again. Ansem rolled to his side, a haggard cough escapes him, and then he completes the movement to be on his chest and straining to rise upward. Putting his weight more to the side he positions his tired form leaning its upper body from the shoulder against the empty containment unit in the center of this large room, he then looks over to the flaming eyes expecting a word of his failure, or the incredible distaste of inability but all he receives was a fiery glare from even more fiery eyes.

Ansem now brushed away some saliva rolling his chin, and taking one last moment to breathe he asked "Master, please forgive me? I know that I was not supposed to allow the traveler to escape, because his knowledge in the future could cause terrible damage to our plans. Yet, I have been a faithful servant for all this time since you brought me from oblivion, may I still serve you?"

There was only a stare, and Ansem realized his torture and not actual destruction was the means of his reprieve. Standing up slowly, Ansem gave a deep throated groan "I see, so that is why I live. I'll never allow this kind of mistake to happen again." he fell to his knees with a terrible beating of his chest, but it stops quickly with his looking up, "I understand, the girl's training and the Kagejin were also things we should have known. However, even you my master must have had trouble foreseeing them with the ongoing problems arising?" he expected a jolt of pain, but he received none as it must be true the recent oddities were nearly impossible to see coming, but they did and so the eyes narrowed as Ansem stood, "I will take you to the lower section my master. There, Gendo will be waiting."

The two were in the elevator before Ansem realized he had actually put himself on the wrong side; he couldn't touch the button to go to the lower level. He cursed himself mentally before reaching for the button. He is startled when an armored hand reaches out, with tips curved in edges as if to be clawed, pressed the button before resting again to their owner. Ansem pulled his hand and eyes down straight, it was not wise to provoke or look at this one. Yet, it was the fact he is so worried of looking that he has to do it. He peeked a moment the figure's physique covered in armor, but the armor was not fitted over a large or wide frame but more average build and average size. There is nothing average of the being Ansem saw, but his view noticed the red cape, no hooded cape, that fell along the armored frame but behind his arms it showed to be short yet at times it would cover him fully in the blood red cloak, an inquiry of Ansem was it always that color or did this figure dye it in the very colored substance it mimics? That is when he had wandered to the eyes, and they were looking ahead with a fiery rated mixed with golden aura. This was flame, it was distinct impurity and only as they eyes turned did Ansem look away again. The elevator stopped, it opened, and the two exited into the next facility.

When Gendo turned to them he had a smile, but the second set of eyes he seemed to frown, pulling Ansem he asks "What is HE doing here?"

"There have been complications. We will need to work something out, but for now how goes the newest ally we obtained?"

To answer a medium height pillar seemed to roll in to meet Ansem, the pillar turned out to be a brain within a jar, and the face of a grim skeleton asked with a mechanized voice, "_Good evening, Ansem. As you can see I am doing well as is Monsieur Mallah."_ The large gorilla now came behind this Brain, and gave a grunt to the others, "_I will admit, a part of me will miss my former General, yet he was a small price to pay in the scheme of our falsified demise."_

That was a sickening truth. Brain had early-on realized the insubordinate mannerisms of Madame and so took it upon himself to seek new avenues. The only other options he had was to destroy her, which would leave him no knowledge of who wanted him dead, or to fake his death with some random brain in a jar along with a trained gorilla that could shoot a big gun, and so it was obvious why he took one route to the other. It also brought him to the employ of this new occupancy, NERV. Here, Brain was not so greatly accommodated with devices to rule mankind, but he had been given a new freedom and that was to develop the final entourage to extinction and that was a task he too found interesting.

The Brain rolled along with the others following, they passed several lower areas under a catwalk they themselves were on; he explained "_The process you gave us is working quite well, in producing the needed materials for my device. When the time comes and all our work bears fruit, the seeds sewn will have been all worth their time in gathering."_ They watched now as what seemed to be happening below were several groups of robots moving shipments along and even preparing other devices. "_The research we have fulfilled for you was most informative. The Medico-Mechanico groups gave full cooperation when dealing with the data gathered from Atomsk, before his demise recently. The last release of his unusual energy seemed most unusual and we have yet to understand why and how he achieved it at this point of time."_ Just then one of the robots dropped a shipment, and to that Brain's jar bubbled before causing the drone to explode. "_Overuse of the mechanics seems to have caused instabilities."_ He turned to the mixed expressions with lack of any, "_They were designed for combat not originally labor."_

Gendo rolled his eyes under his glasses, "You told us before, but you said you had more important matters to attend to! This was supposed to be a specific meeting not some ongoing report!"

The Brain turned from him and his tank bubbled again, this time the door before them opened showing a main room where many computers, devices and stationing facilities were held. "_I was getting to that Commander Ikari. The recent scans showed an unusual mass heading this way. I believe," _the screen he stopped at showed a large shadow under water, and moving waves along its back. "_it could be a new type of submarine or aquatic vehicle, yet the maneuvers it seems to partake are too skilled to be a machine. I now surmised it is a former resident of this island, in other words…"_ he turned to the startled faces of the men, "_This is most definitely Ebirah, the large crustacean of the Kaiju variant of life forms. If it is coming here it must be planning an assault, we must act to neutralize it."_

Gendo gave a nod, "I see, what of the other project?"

"_I thought you were not interested in my reports?"_ to that Mallah snorted a chuckle, and Gendo gave a stern glare but ignored them. Ansem turned with the robed figure saying "This is not good. You know why that thing is coming here, don't you?"

The figure gave a stern glare, and Ansem lowered his head letting it leave through the elevator, "Yes Scarlet Robe, we will deal with the threat as was previously planned. As long as the dome is over us it will keep all outer dangers out, aside from physical penetrations of animal or flash and bone kinds." Ansem turned to see Gendo was now coming to him, "I suspect the research has been going smoothly?" Gendo glared to Brain and Mallah as they were working again, but he nods yes to Ansem's question "Good, we must move quickly! Prepare the Evangelion it seems the time has finally come to start the program of yours in phase one."

* * *

Shinji Ikari looked at the address on his piece of paper and then to the address on the apartment building door. He seemed confused, not the numbers but loud music playing out into the housing units was so loud. He took a moment, realizing it was 'HollaBack Girl- Gwen Steffani' He knocked on the door finding it was unlocked, so he went inside to look around seeing one room was his with all his boxes inside he went on ahead, he then followed that music with the intent to shut it off. That was when he found himself in the kitchen finding a certain red head bent over at the fridge, rolling her hips to the music in a pair of short yellow trunks, a red loose tank top, and pink fluffy bunny slippers. He was blushing as she moved off one hip to the other without being aware he was even here. Looking at the address he made sure he read it right, what is Asuka Soryu doing in his new apartment? That was when she turned around with a spoon in her mouth, in one had a pudding pack and the other slamming the door shut. She saw Shinji, and he saw Asuka, and seeing each other… well…

"Ah! Pervert!" Shinji was smacked with a pudding pack, "I knew it! I just knew you were one of those, perverts!"

"WHAT?" He wiped the pudding just in time to see a spoon coming on him, he dodged to now snap "Who do you think you are flaunting about in my apartment? Are you some sort of sicko?"

"Your apartment! This just so happens to be my apartment Shinji! I checked my address twice before coming in!" she held up her paper, and he then offered his so they both exchanged and read the addresses, then they exchanged again, and a third and fourth time before screaming "Misato gave us the same address!"

Shinji slaps his forehead "Oh no, now what do I do?"

"I know! What was she thinking! You can't put a boy and girl together in the same household at this age, and with no blood relation! I mean, boys are nothing more than a large vat of hormones flopping around looking for something to pass their genes on with!"

"Yeah…" he blinked, "Hey! Are you implying that I'm some deviant?"

"Well, you did seem pretty much a pervert looking at my butt."

"I wasn't looking at your butt; I was trying to figure out why you were in my apartment!" Shinji swung his satchel onto a chair and then sat into another one, now he screams "Turn that music off!"

Asuka gave a glare, but then smirked as she turned the volume even louder "What? I can't hear you!"

"You know what you're so immature!" Shinji and Asuka come face to face, and during that the music stops. The two teens look to find a strange animal leapt off the counter where the radio was and to the floor. The small creature was in fact a penguin with the common black and white colors, but also red brows or somewhat brow like appendages over the eyes, and a large nametag on its neck saying simply "Pen". Pen waddled to a small refrigerator on the floor and tapped a button, thereby opening the fridge and making his way inside. The teens both look in confusion but then squat down seeing the fridge close, they open it, and find inside was a miniature TV which Pen watched as he drank a glass of red fruit punch. He turned to the two and squawked before pushing a button that closed the fridge. The teens look away to the radio, and Shinji says "I expected maybe rats or cockroaches, but never penguins."

After saying it Asuka began to chuckle and he soon followed which leads to full blown laughter in only moments.

"Well, looks like you two found Pen-Pen!" the two look to Misato, the adult and leader of the Evangelion team, Captain Misato. "As you saw, he's an Erect-Crested penguin, and unlike most others he's with a much higher IQ than normal penguins of his kind." The penguin, Pen-Pen now opened up the fridge and squawked with Misato giving a little wave; he waddled over and looked into the bag she was holding at her side, and then pulled out a fish in his beak and then scurrying to the fridge again, "Then again he's more worried about eating than most other things."

"Hold it, you mean all this time we were supposed to be living with you Misato?" Asuka saw Misato gave a little nod before heading to the big fridge, "Well now this is just great! I have the teen pervert and miss military to look forward to living with? What's next?"

"Well," Misato heard the phone and grabbed it, ignoring her earlier plan to open the fridge. She listened, and then slammed the phone saying "Get to my car we have an emergency!" that was when a large horn went off all around the city, and both Shinji and Asuka knew what that meant. In a barren white room with barren bed, sterile devices and surgical equipment, and even several bandages along the disposable baskets Rei Ayanami stood slowly before whispering, "They're coming… the first Angel is coming…"

* * *

Beast Boy stood telling how he was able to fight Wildebeest, but unexpectedly the cage broke and he lost the match. The others listen to the events of the Master of Games competition, but it was only Raven who seemed distant. Her mind was occupied with more things than the rambling of Beast Boy. She made sure to nod if someone directed their attention to her, but if that was not the case her mind was busy with thinking of the current condition of the team.

Someone else has been taking notice of Raven's distance. Well, distance from him and not so much her team. The Saiyan prince Vegeta kind of seemed pre-occupied with her lately ever since she made such little work of Captain Ginyu before. The actual sight of former blow-hard Ginyu being beaten left him with a large impression. Vegeta was snacking on a salad as he pricked it with his fork, Nappa the larger Saiyan asked "Vegeta, are you okay?"

"I'm fine Nappa. The fact this salad tastes like plastic however…" he looked to find his plate was full, but the plastic centerpiece was now ridden with poked holes and missing parts. Turning a bit green Vegeta asked "Why didn't you morons tell me sooner?"

Nappa rubbed the back of his head, "Sorry, you just… well, you seemed to enjoy that." He elbowed Raditz, "I'm not talking about the meal either."

Raditz snickered as Vegeta was looking quite questioning, "Well, not that we're not curious but why are you great prince so interested in the woman with the pale skin?" Vegeta jumped out of his chair, "Ah, seems he's very interested."

"Why you…" he growled lowly before tossing the fork, "It's bad enough Frieza will have our heads and we hide in this station, but do you have to belittle me with such insults?" the other two began to cackle like hyena until Vegeta walked off storming, only stopping a moment to look at Raven who was looking at him too, as was the entire room. He snorted from his nostrils, "Absurd, the lot of them." And then he left.

* * *

Vegeta stopped a moment to spy something of a light in a room. He slowly made way to it, and peeked in but a hand clasps his throat flinging him into the air. Vegeta stood quickly to scream "How dare you!"

Sabretooth screamed a roar that made Vegeta run the hell out of there, then he slowly made way back into the room where Blink lay in a bed tightly snuggled with sheets. He sat there watching as she slept, fearful she used too much of her powers. It is true the young mutant can achieve great things, but she is still quite susceptible to over exertion.

An unexpected shift and Sabretooth looked to the young mutant but slowly he became lucid as if not fully accepting her awakening to the world again. When Blink shed off the blankets, and then she looked to him, his slight smile made her frown. "Mr. Creed?" from her tone it was obvious she knew he was not in a good mood, though often he never was she knew he was unusually unhappy, "What's wrong, is everything alright?"

He first seemed to think up his first plan to dismiss her, yet he could not do it. Then he offered a new smile, which only made her more nervous, so he lowered his head and accepted what must happen. Looking up, his gloom turned to sincerity, "Kid, I thought I knew but not, I mean not what he did." His face scolded the fact he had been oblivious, "Kid, I swear that if I had known I would have killed that freak way before this."

Blink was puzzled and confused, but then she thought of how angry he seemed. "You know…" she lowered her head biting the lower lip, but asked "Are you angry at me?"

"What?" He blinked, confused, but then said "Kid I'd never be angry with you. The one I'm angry with is myself, for not knowing and not doing more." He offered a hand, she seemed to also be confused with him, "I swear, it's over from here on out. I tore him to pieces, literally."

"Are you sure? He has a second version; in his appendix he carries a mutant bi-clone every time he rejuvenates himself." Sabretooth's face went grim, but she smiled and rubbed her cheek into his hand, "I'm not worried. I just, I'm just happy to know I don't have to hide it anymore."

"You never had to hide that. I wish you were never in such a thing, he'll pay," Sabretooth stood with a feral look now "Oh he'll pay the hard way."

Magneto floated in now, "I see, so a personal vendetta?" the two look to their leader and he gave a simple nod, "Gather the others into the hangar. I have an announcement to make to all the students and faculty, or rather the X-Men." He then turned saying "That is what we all are; we are X-Men now."

* * *

Sitting at the table of titans soon came along the other titans. The East Titans, Aqualad and Speedy minus their other mates, now sat and chowed down before the other three members did get along. Bumble Bee snaps, "Were you two lazy good for nothings eating all this time?"

"We did work too. The food was just our reward!" Speedy and Aqualad gave wide grins before chomping down on their burgers, but in a flash they were gone, to which they turn to the two miniature titans Mas y Menos who just so happen to be licking their fingers of evidence.

The two brothers now took off as Speedy and Aqualad were chasing, Bumble Bee shook her head sitting and ignoring them. "So, you guys going to fight the good fight?" The Titans nod "Good thing to hear, because that's what me and the boys will be doing too. We're heading on back down to fight for Steel City. I'm not letting some unworthy monsters take what's rightfully ours! Not to mention people still need us down there."

"Yeah, like we didn't give that any thought?" Cyborg gave a slight 'Pfft' gesture, adding to his sarcasm "Thing you seem to have forgotten is the fact those same monsters have most of us outnumbered, and then they have the most psychotic monsters in history or whatever working to make them even more destructive. When you figure out a way to stop them, let us no. We all would like to take and get our homes back."

Raven grabbed her chin when they talked about homes. As she thought about her home, she soon began to feel maybe she could… "Hey, Raven?" Raven turned to the concerned Beast Boy "You okay? You seem to be loosing us here."

"I've just been thinking about home. Nothing to worry about, though now with all this power," she sighed a deep regretful breath, "I'll bet I need to meditate more. If not, the power will start to become too great. It's probably why I was chosen, lucky me." Her sarcastic ending caused a chuckle, but not the Titans rather a one eyed mercenary madman who had snuck into the dark corner behind the heroes.

"Excuse my intrusion but your conversation about taking the city back had me amused."

"Amused?" Bumble Bee had no more liking of Slade than most the Titans West, so she asked "What do you find so amusing Slade?"

He first kicked off the wall, then he walked in the confident manner he was so accustomed to, and said to all those listening "What else, but your inability to understand the fact you're not in some little game, this is a real battle and with dire consequences. If you go to earth you will be killed. The forces and numbers would be against you. That, and then the fact you have no strategy but simply, duke it out till we can win. That may have worked before, but the rules of conduct are trickier, now you need strategy." He looked to the teenagers, and said "None of you have the experience or skill to formulate strategy. Well, not the kinds you will need."

They all look to Robin who has slammed his fists on the table. "Who are you, of anyone in this place, to tell us what we should or shouldn't do?"

Slade now gave his own little look of anger, "Robin, let's not let our emotions get the better of us. After all we all are in the same boat. Its best we learn to work together. Wouldn't you agree, Raven?"

Raven now looked to him in slight shock, but Robin screams "Hold it! I don't care what is happening I'll never work with you again!"

"Fine choice of words, again. Do you mean the time I was dead and we ventured hell, or when you were my…"

"Burn in hell Slade!"

"I did, and thus we had to team up before. I guess no matter what we will be partners or as I like to think master and…" Robin screamed, and Slade laughed when the young teen leapt on him. The next thing is Robin held in air, but lowered so Raven could latch his hand and then Slade's like a demanding mother. "You two behave, or else!"

The two gave one nice glare to each other, but she slammed their fists up and down twice causing them to wince, "Alright!" they scream in unison before pulling away and then sharing a glare again.

Raven shook her head, you can't change nature. "You two just… argh."

* * *

In the dark tents and blood soaked land, they collect their horrid clans to celebrate victory. The Kagejin feast off the enemies they defeated, or perhaps with the wines of liquors their former enemy left about. Whatever it is they choose to use, they do. One tent is lit with a lone lamp and this was the lead tent, Akaige's tent. Soon he sat at this long table and stared into nothingness. His tent is opened and Orochimaru gave a bow before entering. "It turned into a fine battle, Akaige."

"_Yes,"_ unenthused the thoughts of Akaige merely drone out, and Orochi picked up on it quickly "_It was a fine battle for the most effect."_

"Are you troubled?" Akaige raised his view to the other demon, "You otherwise seemed more involved, but now you preclude to your tent. Should you not rejoice with the others?"

"_I do not feel so invoked to rejoice my friend. I failed to kill the one I was most interested in that building, the Spider-Man."_

"Is that so?" Orochi now sat close to Akaige's one side, and held a strange bottle up saying "Holocaust has arrived with ill news of the princesses, but he offers Sake in the place of empty hands."

"_Sake? Hmm, I suppose he knows better than to come absolutely empty handed. Is it, honey?"_

"I do believe." Orochi retrieves two glasses on the table, and pours the Sake into the goblets asking "Would you mind telling me the story of the Spider-Man, as I told you of the emperor?"

"_Yes I suppose it would be a fair trade." _Akaige picked up the glass and swirled the contents, inspecting it his ethereal eyes seem to creek up with delight, "_Ah, fine Sake. Let me see… at first the Spider was in my grasp. A human woman became a problem for a while, and I seemed to remove her for later. Then…"

* * *

_

The rooftop of the Baxter building and there stood the dark lord Akaige, before him Spider Man in his techno-suit bashed up with half the helmet ripped off. Akaige stalked slowly as Peter Parker, the Spider, lay flat and tiredly seemed only to watch as the fiend edged more and more with stretched out claws. As the space between the two seemed to be nothing at all, the end of the web crawler most definitely seemed at hand. However, the roof Akaige stood on seemed to crackle, and Akaige turned down as something ripped from the floor and snatched his ankle. Surprising to both the fighters was the intervention of a metallic tentacle that now tossed Akaige off the tower. To stunned awe, Spider Man asked "Doc Ock? What are you doing here still?"

The fine doctor gave a look to Spider Man, first anger but then alarm, "Peter Parker? How, I thought you took Spider Man's photos… unless, no you have to be kidding!" Ock slapped his forehead, "The blasted idiocy of mine! I can't believe I was fooled from such a petty cover, next they will tell me Clark Kent is actually Super Man!"

Spider Man gave a little chuckle, but then he snaps to reality "Doc, we need to get going! I want you to," he strains but falters to his back again, "damn I'm too beat up. Take the girl and go!"

Ock looked over his shoulder to the girl, or rather Wendy, and in a grin his tentacle stretched to drag her on over. "You know Parker; I always knew you had great potential. You just lacked the vision needed to be a fine scientist." To that Doc Ock latched Parker as he passed over him with his human arm, and both he held in his arms as tightly as he could, "For example, do you have any explosives within that mechanized monstrosity? I heard several as I was heading to escape… if that blasted transport had not left." Parker looked and found a compartment; he opened it to pull out a mine that resembled a web, "Bah, you people and your stupid themes! Why can't an explosive just be an explosive for a change?"

Ock latched his mechanical arms on the building wall, took a breath, and then he jumped as the bomb is set on the wall. They are falling and when the ground came Doc Ock swung all his arms to buffer the ground, aside the two human ones holding his companions. The crash was loud, but an explosion was even louder as the building's wall crumbled greatly. To that Doc Ock swung his four arms and ripped out the ground, making a hole he leapt in as the demons discovered them. Several monsters had come to stop them but were crushed in falling rubble. In the chaos the three escape, but Akaige landed and demanded that they be found. That was when he then began to disappear…

* * *

"Where did you go, if you don't mind my asking?" Akaige looked to Orochi with little pleasure or anger, more solid cold a stare of any stare with a moan following. "Hmm, I see, then what of the Spider? What will you do with him now?"

"_Nothing,"_ Akaige looked outside his tent to see Reiram was leading a small band of demons, "_That's what I send my other help to take care of. I just hope they bring him back alive, as I asked."_

Orochi took a sip of his sake, but always he watched Akaige between each drink. That was when he finally realized something, "Asked, you asked your minions to do your will?"

"_Minions?"_ Akaige gave a confused look, but then he chuckled a moment to the idea, "_Ah, I see. So you're confused of the way we do things. It is true I am the lord of these people, but my role is not so demanding. In truth, it is in a sense the role of a father. I guide them and offer rewards for their work. At times I must, in a sense, play a disciplinary role. However, each time it is only to keep order of that which normally is chaos. Do you understand that?"_

Orochi did not, but drank his Sake with a nod. "Tell me, lord Akaige. What is else that troubles you?"

Akaige shoved it off and asked "_Tell me oh great serpent tamer, what brought you here? You certainly did not come for the simple pleasure of the task, so I ask why?"_

Orochi looks to his cup with the swirling mesh of liquid. He felt unnerved as in it he felt he saw a leering set of unkind eyes warning him of any mistakes he may take. Orochi set the glass down before saying "I was sent from curiosity. Whether it is my own or another's I am not able to discuss, my friend."

Akaige lowered his cup, but in a low somber essence he proclaimed "_There are forces outside my own current knowledge working against my people, I see." _Akaige had finished his glass, but then stood to say "_Oh the time flies, perhaps when my war is over I may come to see your realm? I'd enjoy seeing the world that offers a demon, so true to ones self." _Akaige walked to the tent's flaps and stopped, a moment of silence seemed to fall the tent. That is when, "_Orochi,"_ Orochimaru turned back to the shadow lord, "_You have a greater potential than what he may give you. If you are true to yourself, then you will realize the difference of what is services and what is slavery."_ He opened the flap and added, "_Oh, and tell this one whose curiosity I peaked," _a soured leer pierces the serpent master's nerve easily, "_if ever he harms my people I will show a wrath greater than that of all darkest dreams even fathomed in his mind, my friend."_

Akaige left the demon serpent to now be alone. In the empty tent the candles are blown out, and their smoke filters along the tent into a silent hiss. Orochi closed his emerald eyes, and opened to find from his Sake cup a gurgling mix of sounds, he picked it up and asked "Are you pleased? I can sense you were watching as usual the way all has unfolded for you?"

"_Yessss… All that wassss planned, hassss come to passssss. The workingsssss of thissss demon, Akaige, will be mosssssst pitiful. Allow him hisssss war for it hassssss no bearing on the planssssss of thossssse beyond hisssss vissssssion. Sssscarlet Robe will sssssee to it, I am asssssssssured."_

"If he should fail, my master?"

"_If that were to happen, then I Schloggozokh will fulfill my plansssss inssssstead."

* * *

_

The sewers smell rotten and trudging through them made a man often ill. New York has never been recognized for a fine sewer system, and its smells. Doctor Otto Octavius, the mastermind of mechanized manipulation came to have his two current persons on his back. The waters were so putrid he could not help but force them to his back while holding his face. "Bah, this putrid sewer! I, Doctor Octavius, acting as a mere transport to my worst enemy and some wretched girl." His head bounced off from a hit, "Hey, watch it!"

Wendy merely gave a glare, but then heard the coughs of Spider Man and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah, just was bounced like a ping-pong ball for several hours and saved from my worst enemy." He gave a grin to edge out the sarcasm, "Yeah, I'm just super."

Octavius stopped quickly to point out, "Well, what does this do for your super disposition?"

They are now looking to a large black beast; it had long arms and legs which it used to clasp the walls and a long neck which extended similar to a turtle. The monster's torso had a sunken in chest like that of a starved corpse. Its back was with hairs that were singular; these hairs seemed to be like those of an insect bristle like but long and stiff. Its head seemed to have no eyes, but a slacked jaw and stout snout seemed both to now open and close to taste and smell the air. It had two ears pointed and flipping around a lot, it seems something had caused them damage and looks like it may have gone deaf. Octavius, given a point of realization, smirked as he stooped under the monster and continued slowly while it seemed to stand there half up the walls and just scanning the area. When he passed the monster he has a tapping on his head, looking to Wendy she points up and he turns to her finger, paled from what he saw. There is a leash that seemed to be around the monster's waist which followed to yet another one. This one is a pale purple, and seemed to be hunched onto the wall while one hand is on the wall with the leash, the other on its waist where it had a fur sash. It was a stocky fat creature, with its girth rolling over the sash the monster's face was a lacked jaw with two large tusks, then small teeth protruding the bottom jaw over the top one. Its ears were pointed, and had hair but only a small scrawny braid along the center back of the skull between the shoulder blades. It had one large red eye over the jaw but its eye glows bright red giving it an almost burning look. The monster now grumbled, shaking itself and saying "Come on… come on, just a little bit. Damn mortal blood causes this every time. I just…" he moaned again, "Just hurry the hell up!"

Doc looked to now see a stream of gold flowing onto the wall, the monster gave a deep relieved sigh. It now was obvious the thing was urinating! He slowly walked through behind the now occupied monster as it was immersed with the relief of its bowels. As they were behind it, Wendy looked to her side seeing something move. On her shoulder a stray rat had leapt down. Spider Man saw it and her face; he slapped her mouth shut before grabbing the rat and tossing it off into the water. The monster turned to the rat away from them, and seeing it swim he went back to the act of nature. Octavius, relieved, now continues moving as slowly as imaginable. Wendy turned to Spider Man and gave a nod, "Thank you." She stopped, slapped her mouth, and the three turn seeing a very angry red eye looking at them now.

They ran for it but a red slime struck Doc Ock. He wiped his hand around and rubbed it off, his hand covered he now looked but gagged, the slime smells worse than ANYTHING he ever knew. That was about when the other leashed beast swung its head over its shoulders and back. Doc looked to it, the slime, and in a scream proclaimed "I've been marked for that thing! Blast it!"

It ran the wall as the larger one ducked, passing him it now leapt off and went for the doctor. He was able to latch his four mechanical arms onto its hands and feet, but was forced under the water where he is submerged and it is thrashing with jaws and snout. Spider man swings his metal fist and the monster bobbed its head, raised up to twitch its lip, and then began to snap where the punch had come from and the doctor. "Okay, that was a bad idea! Now what do we do?"

Wendy looks around and grabs a metal pipe, she smacks the pet monster but those fangs latch the pipe mangling it before spitting it at Spider Man's face, she sweetly says "Sorry Spider Man!"

"No… problem," he shook his head from a daze. "I have no weapons and Doc Ock isn't really used to being under water like a real octopus, we need a plan!"

That is when blue sonic beams struck the beast's head and flung it back limply. Doc Ock immerged, breathing deeply, and then turning to the standing man in red and yellow, with netting like design over the yellow his outfit was spandex covering his entire body. He looked to them all with metal bracers over his hands, and asked "Ock, is the web head with you?"

Ock gave a nod, "Shocker, at times like this your sissy seismic bracers are not so sissy." Shocker shot another blast splashing water into Octavius's face, which he spat out arrogantly. "I take it back."

Shocker is another of Spider Man's enemies. This man uses seismic technology similar to the kind Cyborg uses; it projects sound waves that can be stunning, fatal or devastating depending on the range. He looked up to the large monster with a red eye, "He's not with you I bet!" and fired to have it squat under the beam.

It looked to the monster Shocker killed, "Kimiko? You killed my pretty little Kimiko? How could you kill her, she was such a good partner! I fed her, bathed her and raised her from a whelp!" he roared causing the water and tunnel to shake, and a stench that was matching the strange ooze which washed off now seemed to cover the area. "I'm going have my pack rip you to pieces!"

Shocker raised a brow, "Pack, did he just say…" and there is snarling and barking, to which the others began running as he said "Oh no." Then he followed with several more of the blackened hounds following them soon after and the stench stuck to them.

It was so annoying how badly the night was going. Spider Man asks "Any bright ideas Doc?"

He shook his head no, "We can't wash this odor off in time to escape the monsters, and they have a need of scent while hearing is only minor. In other words we need to remove the scent as their hunters of smell not hearing." He looked back seeing them gaining, "This way, we need to buy some time!" he turned into a tunnel as they all followed into it, then he pointed to the roof saying "Shocker, bring this portion down!" Shocker did and rubble was between them and the monsters, but they also had a long stretch of tunnel before them and most likely the other side leads to this one somewhere. "Alright, we need to wash off this smell! Begin irritating it in water, hurry now!"

They did that for the longest time. Finding the smell only seemed to linger it was obvious this wasn't working. "Oh, I wish I had some good perfume." The three men look to Wendy; she blushed and said "Sorry, but when something stinks I'll usually just mask over it with perfume."

It was so incredibly stupid that it was brilliant! They needed a smell to mask this one, but the sewers had nothing stagnant and stench worthy enough to cover themselves in. That was when Spider Man slapped a large pipe along the wall, "I think I know what we can use, eh Doc?"

Octavius looked to the large pipe with 'Septic System" written on it, and he screamed "No, no and no way I would ever do such a thing!" there is the strange sounds of the creatures, "Are you mad? I have wounds that would get into my wounds!" The Spider and Wendy look in fright, "Never, I shall never succumb to this stress enough to…" and there was the noise of sound breaking metal, a gushing of solid and liquid mixed, finally the doctor and team covered in fecal matter that made his stubborn resolve diminish before looking at Shocker who was with his two hands pointed at the septic pipe, "Right… well, that certainly was the low point of my evening."

"Sorry doc," Shocker held his laughter from the faces everyone had, he was covered head to toe in a suit where they had wounds and bare skin flushed by the disgusting bile. "I just figured you've got to do what you've got to do."

Octavius shook his glasses showing how his eyes and around them were shielded by the lenses, making a clear mask spot from the rest of the filth. "Indeed, Mr. Shocker." He wiped the lenses best he could and then put on his shades, asking, "What now Spider?"

The group followed Spider Man toward the end of the passage, where they found the monsters storming on them. Ducking under the water the blind beasts ran past them and never once noticed. So with that they ran from the creatures leaving their poor senses behind. At the end of the passage they are startled from a figure waiting on the wall. What waited for them was a large turtle man with blue decorative patches and two katana. The turtle had one eye covered and many marks over his body and shell, but he gave a nod and cocked his head as a sign for them to follow. "The name's Leonardo, follow me. The Morlochs are waiting for us at the new hideout."

Spider Man gave a somewhat surprised nod, "I'm surprised anyone is still in the city, let alone alive!"

"Survivors do that you know. They do whatever it takes to survive" He then sniffed the air, and turned asking "By the way, you guys know you all smell like…" his face turns red when he realizes they had been drenched in many sediments and matter of that kind, looking away he only smiles from their anger and embarrassment, "Like I said. They do whatever it takes."

* * *

Magneto stood ridged and firm before the man in green, the Green Lantern. Behind Magnus were the students and X-Men; while behind Lantern were J'onn, Batman and Wonder Woman. Magneto looked at the man of justice and asked "What is the reason you stand in our way?"

"We need everyone we can get and that means you're staying. Whether you want to or not, we're in this together!"

"I agree," Magnus turned to his students and people, "However, these are not fighters. These are students, and teachers. That makes them my responsibility and not your own. I will not be able to teach them here and so I must relocate us." He turned to Lantern and gave a stern look to match the Lantern. "We will not abandon you or our home. I will assist you as will my students, but we must not stay here."

"I don't care about your students, or your school and faculty! This is a time of war and I'm going to keep you here," his finger glows green emerald and taking a stance he growls from the throat, "whether you want to or not!"

Magneto let his eyes glow and made the room creak a bit, and several bolts undid themselves as his power commanded "We are leaving! Whether this station is here afterwards it up to you?"

J'onn latched a hand onto Lantern and said "It's okay to let them go. This is neither the time nor the place. We are friends, not enemies. We are members of Justice and justice relies, upon freedom."

Lantern, though very worried, let his hand lower and gave a nod "You're right. I guess I'm just so…"

"Scared?" They turn to Wonder Woman who nods to their look, "I'm scared to. Often, I need to be strong for men feel women need to be so frail and weak. I've shown that's not the case, but it's not a matter of gender when everything you believe in is thrown upside down by forces you can't control."

Lantern and the other members make way for Magneto and his students. Batman closes the gap behind the mutants and says to Lantern "Don't worry. When we need them or they need us, we'll find a way to talk to them."

Magneto got on first to find several teens sleeping on the ship, and to his utmost stunned awe a large blue hairy man reading a book, "McCoy? You're alive?"

"Of course," he closed the book and smiled to Magneto "What did you expect from me? We left a message telling the people at the Baxter Building if anyone of the X-Men were here they would need to know we survived. I'm surprised you didn't find us sooner."

"It's been a VERY busy day, my friend." Magneto sat down and waited for the others to board. Everyone was on the ship soon even members who recently had joined. Sunfire turned his flames off and stunned many with his bare, burnt flesh. He ignored them but still felt oddly, till Rogue motioned him to a seat next to her and feeling a place he nodded. He could not be happy, not depressed merely left in the memories of a home lost and perhaps another found. He felt too much recently and the only thing lingering in him was pain, and the pain showed on the contour of his face so much no one failed to notice. Paige, or the mutant Husk, now sat down beside him and gave a smile. He offered nothing but a nod, and so the two newest members became quiet. That was when two more arrived. Cloak, the black teenager with the darkness of his body and large green cloak soon arrived with Dagger his enchanting blonde lover. The two shared moments of explanation, as to their wishes to join, and then took a moment to sit in the now crowded Black Hawk. Magneto looked and smiled, "This is a full fledged school, you think?"

Storm looked to the students grumbling and arguing, "That, or a dysfunctional family?"

"The same thing last I looked." Logan gave a smirk as Sabretooth kicked his leg, then he screamed and scolded the grinning cat man, before kicking him back. Sabretooth readied to attack full force but Clarice nudged him, Blink always kept him in line, blast.

"Clarice," she looked to Magneto who sat in the main chair, "We need another portal big enough to teleport the Black Hawk, and can you do it?"

She frowned, but then smiled in reassurance and a nod to her confidence "Yes Mr. Magnus."

"…." He looked back saying "Magnus, or Magneto please?"

"Right," she channeled her powers to make a large portal letting them leave. When they were gone the remaining people in the port looked and saw the X-Men leave.

* * *

Lantern looked a little upset, but smile soon after "Okay, we have jobs to do everyone. Let's get to it!" they leave but J'onn and Batman didn't leave, "What are you two doing?"

"We noticed something," J'onn said, "We'll be with you shortly." The two wander to a spacecraft Doom used to retreat with, he was trying to fix it. "What is the diagnosis, Dr.?"

Victor Doom didn't acknowledge J'onn, at first. He instead maneuvered a device in the ship's wall-panel before it sparked, and then he stood up and said "Poor, that is the best way to diagnose this mess. That or dead on arrival."

"So trying to save Spider Man won't be any time soon." Batman frowned, "Or rather never."

"Not unless you know some one with high enough an I.Q. and able to fix this machine in so small a timeframe, no." he walked off with the other two sighing deeply, "This is turning into a very problematic situation."

What they did not know was Ben 10, along with the deeply bored Shredder, had wandered into the hangar to find the three talking. Shredder wandered into the ship and growled, "This is the most annoying thing. Why did I agree to come with you again?"

"You were bored and this is all I could think of to do. You know what he said about high IQ and small made me think of something." He toyed with his watch device, "I have the perfect alien to fix this ship!"

In a flash Ben became a miniature alien that looked like a toad man in white spandex, Shredder was confused as the creature was no taller than perhaps a couple inches but watched it climb into the open slot and moved the walls, banging and buzzing along the way. Gwen, Ben's cousin, also noticed the two disappear and dragged Grandpa along, finding Shredder alone she screamed "Oh my god, what did you do to my cousin?"

"Killed him and used his brains to make Jell-O?" Shredder shook his head and said "Wait, hold a second!" Grandpa Max swung a fist but Shredder easily blocked the old man, "What I meant to say was that he shrunk himself and is trying to fix the ship."

Max kind of let a pant of relief, "Good, I was worried for…" he blinked, "Then why did you say that other thing?"

"It's a villain thing." He then thought to himself, "Or maybe that's just me?"

Gwen shook her head and tapped the walls, "Don't worry I know he didn't kill Ben, if he did use his brain for Jell-O he'd be starved by now."

A small alien opened the compartment in the roof, "If you are implying my grey matter was incapable of satiating hunger from lack of mass and size in my human form, then by all means allow me to assure you own was incapable of satiating the hunger by one billionth the amount of my own." He then went back to work as Gwen snorted and turned in a pout, he may be smarter now but soon he'd be stupid Ben again.

Doom re-entered and noticed the people "What are you all doing here?" that was when Ben jumped out and turned human seconds after leaping. He slammed down hard and Doom screamed "What were you doing to my ship?" just then it turned itself on, and astounded he asks "What is going on here?"

"Sorry, but the intelligent part of me is in the watch now. I remember the idea of fixing the ship, and then that's when I fell down here."

Gwen gave a smile, "Like I thought the good old Ben."

Doom jumped into his seat and said "Fine, now we have work to do! New York here we come!"

* * *

Raven sat and ate her meal thanking the stars above she would enjoy some time of peace. Sadly, it never did come. Between each bite came Robin snapping at Slade, and Slade snapping back at robin. Rose, the daughter of Slade, was now sitting here with the group and Slade not only disliked her cheerful attitude with the Titans but how simply she made friends. Robin felt he could push Slade away but no matter what if Rose was here, Slade was here. Robin screamed full force "Slade, just give it up! She's not a psycho like you!"

Rose gave a stern look, "Watch it pal! My father just put his life on the line to help your friend, last time I checked anyway."

"Right," Robin crossed his arms voicing more physically than verbally his disapproval and disbelief. "Slade has only the thought of his own hide in that, believe me."

Slade now sighed deeply, "I guess no matter what you'll always be two things, a sore looser and a boy blunder." And that was it. The next thing Slade knew was the connection of a fist to his face, and stumbling back only to soon be struck again and again while the two reared into heated battle.

It didn't last very long though. Before the two could fully rip one another to shreds the greatly annoyed Raven slammed her palms down, and encased the two with dark torrents of energy which suspended them in the air. The other titans Beast Boy, Cyborg and Starfire looked in slight relief but soon came a realization, Robin was becoming pale and very pained. His face showed a terrible stress and when the three looked to Slade his eye was shaking fairly poorly. This lead those to turn to Raven who had a wide grin over her face, and when she tilted her chin up it showed a sinister flare in her eyes, her demonic self forced itself over her now. "Well, that shut them up. Then again I bet I know how to quiet them down, PERMANENTLY!" her one hand raised and seemed to focus the energy, they screamed with convulsions as Raven left a light chuckle from her throat, "Too bad you idiots couldn't keep your egos where they belong. I hate to have to kill you both."

"Friend, what are you doing?" Star jolted Raven by the shoulder and then found herself in the energy, and then the Titans were all engulfed. She gasped seeing a glimpse of Raven looking at them as no more than mere nuisances, and squeaked "Friend Raven, this is… wrong."

Raven's eyes close, and the dark energy lapses before they all fall breathing and gagging on the floor. Raven opened her amethyst eyes, and horror along with fright the purest kinds flipped her lids madly. "Wh-what is wrong with me?" she flew through the walls to her room locking it quickly.

The Titans were outside the room; Robin knocked and asked "Raven, what's wrong? What can we do to help?"

She put her ear to the door and said "I don't know, and I don't know if you can help. Something is going on I need some time alone, maybe time to meditate. Just give me some time, please?"

Robin looked worried, but he turned to the others and said "We all have been stressing ourselves. What about a little time to unwind?" they all nod, and Robin looked back one more time before following Starfire who took his arm into her own. Cyborg grabbed Beast Boy and Terra, dragging them to the main hall where he wanted to check out the station's specs.

Slade and Rose have slowly made it to the door, Slade looked up to the vent above him and said "Rose," he jumped up and latched his hands around the lip readying to kick it in, "Watch for the titans I'm going in to see what our dark mage friend is doing."

"You're getting pretty worked up about her," Slade's head snapped back confused, she shrugged saying "Well I understand. You chose Terra over me, and Raven has so much power now it's obvious you'd want her as an apprentice. That, and don't forget Blink she was grade A material too much better than your own daughter."

Slade dropped down and said "What are you prattling about? I didn't choose them over you, I didn't even know you were alive!" she gave him a death glare to which he rolled his eye, "Oh, you know what I mean." Squatting down he attempts to be a father, but obviously he's a killer and to no extent was this something he knew. "My dear child, remember this. If I have others take and fight for us then we won't have to loose each other. Wouldn't you rather that than taking a chance of getting yourself harmed?"

"NO!" she slapped his hand away and pushed on his back, "I want to be the one to avenge my brother and my family! I don't want anyone else, but one of us! I want us to be the ones! Not her, Terra or anyone else!" she then ran off as he stood slowly, and slammed his head onto the wall asking "How long were you standing at that door?"

Raven opened it and looked sad, "Well, let's just say the vents are locked."

"Oh, lovely." He now slowly fell onto his butt and let his arms hang over his knees, and head sway with a moan of agitation before simply letting himself just sort of slump in more. "Well, did you figure out what's wrong?"

"I think I have an idea. I just made a call to a friend who will clear things up when I can see him. Would you like to…?" Slade looked up with a cold stare, "Uh, on second thought…"

"What is going on now?" Robin, who stormed in glaring to Slade and Raven snaps again "When is this madness going to end? You're acting like you two are childhood pals! Don't you remember this is the same guy who sold you out to Trigon?"

Raven just rolled her eyes as the two began to argue, and then slipped behind her door to slam it shut. A second later they both are knocking and asking if they can come in, she sighed before flopping straight onto her bed face first. What she did not know is in her closet was a man tall and sickeningly smiling yellow teeth. His hood hid his upper face but allowed two golden eyes to narrow on the young sorceress. His long fingers clasp a strange artifact that in its center was a vial, swirling in green smoke and ether. His teeth widen a grin of great evil as he now slowly wrapped a thumb to the artifact, preparing to open a vent of a snake's jaw to rise and release the smoke, when a white albino bat screams "MASTER!" the man drops the vial to slap the bat's mouth shut.

Raven popped her head up and looked to the closet, then the titan and Slade squabbling outside as it was their fault what has happened now. She sighs to begin meditating instead. Raven just misses the green vial artifact rolling across the floor and under her bed where the man narrows his eyes and easily hits the bat with a fist over his hand, shooting it onto the ground hard, "Blast, now look what you've done Bartok." spoke the man in a Russian accent, and very fruitful in a rage of his own but silent to only him and the bat. "I warned you to be quiet and not interrupt me, this is important. If we fail to capture the girl who knows what those two will do to us, let alone Schloggozokh."

"Gasuntite, there master." The bat flew up onto the man's shoulder and says "Don't you fear I'll retrieve that thing for you, lickety split."

"No, I'll get it myself." He then popped off his one hand making a bone stump where it once was, and a wide grin he pushed the severed hand through the crack in the closet door saying "I always said I'm handy when it comes to solving problems, eh-heh."

"That's a great one Rasputin, sir. No argument on my half, no sir."

"Bartok…" the bat looked up with such pride, "Shut up."

* * *

New York was covered in the demonic hordes of the Kagejin, yet the underground works of the sewers were not. After hours of walking the sewer system gave way to a large hole that was in fact the entrance into the former X-Mansion lower area. Inside the crew of Spider Man, Doc Ock, Shocker and Wendy, lead by Leonardo, had arrived to a small haven for survivors. The survivors were not normal ones but rather the Morlocks, underground dwelling mutants disgusted by the normal populous of society. Their leader was a woman named Callisto and stood as tall as a man, but she was a woman merely in raged and torn T and jeans, along with a patch over one eye. She stood with another mutant who was covered un brown protrusions like armor but obviously his own bones protruded his flesh and made him impenetrable now. "Spyke, you know these people?"

Spyke, former X-men student, gave a nod before saying "That's Leonardo, a friend I made a little while back. I told him how to get here if he made it back he was supposed to be looking for his friends," he pointed out the others "Those weren't the friends he told me about."

Another man came but he was tall and pale, no hair and a constant blank look of his face. He wore ragged clothing as well, but nodded to Callisto. "This one in the red and blue is a mutant, of arachnid variation. The others are humans though it is obvious the one with the metal arms is not a normal man." He pointed to Ock who gave a snarl, and was ignored as the man pointed to Wendy, "She has no abilities but merely a human, as was this other man with the large braces over his arms."

"Hey, watch it!" screamed a bellowing voice from the back. Standing was a muscular behemoth of a man, wearing a red armor bullet shaped helmet, and red outfit with strips at the abdominals and all a matching rust everywhere else. This man also had red armor bands over his backhand and bicep of both arms. He now pointed to Shocker, and chuckled while saying "For a mere human like me, he's one un-killable freak."

Shocker shook his head, "Juggernaught? You're alive?" he then slapped his head, "Of course, you're immortal thanks to the curse or magic, or… whatever?"

They now turned to the tall mutant who was looking in the air, "What is it?" Callisto asked with concern.

"I feel… something." He shook his head "I'll keep looking."

Callisto figured she'd turn her attention back to the others, "So, how is the surviving the apocalypse?"

The heroes explain what happened to Baxter; it left several sour looks among the others. Spyke even snapped out a certain curse that wasn't well accepted, but now Spider Man looked to the tall mutant and asked "What is it?"

"I sense a mutant or something that is a mutant with a large insect, and an alien perhaps the one the Justice League always had with them. They seem to be in the clouds not leaving for fear of detection but the one alien seems to be reaching for someone."

"Seriously?" Spider Man shook the mutant and asked "Can you talk to him?"

"No, but he does mention a homing device in a suit?"

Spider Man realized he had a homing device, "Well, would you look at that?" he flipped it and a signal was sent out. He was being given a very unkind look but ignored it to ask "We need to meet them somewhere, where could we go?"

"The mansion has been burnt away but the remnants are still accessible." Spyke pointed up saying "We head up there and we may hitch a ride!"

They do just that, but a strange hound like demon turns the corner as they were about to leave, luckily a large lizard creature swung a fist crushing its head in and killing it instantly. This was Scaleface, a Morlock that now turned into a young woman who smiled, "Sorry, just saw him…" and she grabbed her nose "My god that thing reeks!"

"They do that!" Wendy acknowledged before noticing a young mutant that was scaled and with a cap and coat on, "Oh, who is this?"

"That's Torpid, and I'm Scaleface. We're Morlocks too but not that high on the list, yet."

They exchange some more talking as they head to the upper levels, but they didn't notice the other hound like demons coming now. They were with one large demon, the strange one eyed demon from before. His red glowing eye gave a hint of pleasure before petting one of his pets, "Good work boys. Now we can…" he dropped to his knees seeing the other hound creature dead, "No not another one!" his eye seemed to curve in slight sadness, but in a quick change he gave a snarl before saying, "That's it no more games. We're going to kill them and make skin covers!"

* * *

Above the surface the collection of heroes knew it was only a matter of time before the others arrived, and another one of before their friendly neighborhood of demons rolled in planning to slice and dice. Since that was the case, Spider Man looked to his beacon and said "Alright, once we see them we get to moving. We don't have any time to waste. It's a hot zone and every second is a danger to us and them. You all understand?" he turned, they nodded and he gave one too, "Good, so now let's be ready!"

That was the weird part, mostly just Spider Man tapped his foot, and Wendy was moving around back and forth. Ock looked to her and asked, "So, read any good books lately?"

"Well, I read this one called 'The Dragon Riders of Pern' and it's one of my favorites."

"Hmm, I'm not interested in fantasy too unrealistic. Give me a good quantum-physics piece, and I'm set."

Wendy was about to say something to that, but her eyes began to grow to the size of hubcaps. Ock looked around and saw a hound demon was trampling towards him, and a twitch of his brow he asks "Why did I try to do good anyhow?" his tentacles roll out and connect with the four paws of the demon, while they thrashed around more of the hounds were coming into the area and seemed to know where to strike. Spiderman looked about knowing full well why, it was that smell and that meant… "Hmm, up there!" his eyes caught the red eyed beast and so he ran and jumped off Juggernaught, swinging off a spinner of webbing he swung off a burnt out beam and… it broke. He smacked down hard and felt his already bruised ribs crack, "Aw, wait a second… let's try that one again?"

He looked up and rolled, narrowly stomped under two fat feet. The demon with the one eye screamed a blood curdling roar, and then stormed along slamming one fist on the ground and ramming forward his entire shoulder. It was like a silverback Gorilla, the slam and the movement, savage as it was the effectiveness when Spider was launched deeper into the ruins of the building made him realize the extent of screwed he was in. It now stormed again, but stopped short to lurch its arms up and then down in thunderous blows to the still injured hero. Spiderman turned about and flipped his hands, a spray to the eyes and the Cyclops sort of stumbled back, then delivered the blow as Spiderman rolled over his back into a squatted position. As the Cyclops was now trying to remove the webbing, Spiderman ran forward with an elbow to the stomach, then a kick to the knee putting it down to his level, where he immediately looked up and jumped to stick the wall and jump down both feet into the base of the monster's skull. It sort of gave a deep groan, and slumped into the flooring so Spiderman walked off a little figuring he put it down unconscious.

A few steps, that's all before the spider senses came and told him of danger, he turned about to duck narrowly the large arm swinging on him. Spiderman punched its gut but it swung down, smashing him to the floor and he bent up on his knees as it was so tremendous a blow. The next thing was a kick sending Spiderman like a football to a field goal, but our goal was burnt and charred wooden planks and a foul was made as Spider smashed through them physically and not between aerially.

Rolling from that Spiderman felt all his body had been beaten. He didn't have the power to really do anything now. Between several beatings in all the day, he was mentally drawn and quartered, along with physically fatigued. That was when he saw a figure looming, a figure of salvation? No, it was not… it was Reiram, the blue demon with the red tattoos who was sent to hunt down the elusive Spiderman and return him to his master, alive more preferred than dead. With the smile transfixed over his face he slowly latched one hand onto Spiderman's ankle preparing to drag him off, but stopped as a sound of bone scratching bone came from behind him and acting on that he barely wheel-spun over Spider to place the hero at his view of Spyke the mutant.

"Want him, and then get through me!"

Reiram looked to Spiderman, then to Spyke, and a nod was his answer before grabbing Spiderman's shoulders and tossing him up like some kind of a shield. Between Spider as the shield, Reiram offered out his hands channeling wind from his palm as powerful precise projectiles to in turn break the armor of Spyke. Spyke grew more bones, and took a swing but missed slashing over the armor of Spiderman, not the wisest choice as Spiderman was getting well fatigued as it was. He needed to make a fine made strike to end the fight, and quickly for Spiderman. Realizing how futile attacking him with Spiderman was Spyke sort of ran away, turning and trying to goad the demon into following. Reiram was not above it and followed soon after discarding Spiderman, the WebCrawler should have felt relieved but he was too tired.

Spyke tossed more of his spines but they are bounced off from air torrents. With the same type of spine and attack, followed with a counter, it was obvious this would go on a while. Then his mind clicked, and tossing all the same spines but one he made Reiram counter the same way, the one he did not use grew from his back where his enemy did not see. This spine grew larger than the others and sharper than them too. When he least expected the change, Spyke latched his spine from his back and tossed it forward. The torrents before knocked away the smaller spines, but the larger one was heavy enough and dense enough to push through making only a wobble, but it made the mark of Reiram's chest and leaving the demon in stunned awe, he faltered back with hands gripped on the large protrusion. Spyke pulled out several more and flung them, they bounce off the protrusion digging it deeper into the chest making Reiram jerk back each hit. The final one made the demon stumble completely onto its backside, squat down and hard fell to the rear it sat up, dazed and confused. Swaying too and fro, it narrowly recognized the next two spikes forging from the palms of Spyke's hands as he pulled them over his shoulder and then slung them off. They struck the demon's eyes and he fell back flat out on his back. A moment of victory, and Spyke sighed deep the victory he has had.

"Spyke!" he turned making a new spine and tossing it, to which Callisto snatched it and flung the pointed weapon to the throat of one of the hounds. He watched it fall dead, and she sort of yanked it out and turned to him, "Well, that was a fun mess we got ourselves in. I suppose it couldn't get any worse?"

Spyke thought back to a moment, and then snapped "Oh my god, Spiderman!" he ran with her following.

* * *

Spiderman had not moved since he last was discarded. Now he heard movement, and recognized a distinct stench from the Cyclops demon, "Well, wondered where you got off to." The demon stomped over and then snatched the hero up, facing his face to theirs and screaming a deep curdling stank breath. Spiderman chuckled, and asked "You ever hear of a breath-mint? Phew, that reeks something awful my friend!"

The demon gave a grin before tossing Spiderman again this time between three hound demons that were circling around them. The demons soon turned on Spiderman and he just gave a low growl, dying like this, after all he has done? His luck was finally out… or was it?

To the surprise of even the wall crawling hero, a large winged insect with tube like eyes, and a spade tail swooped down and snatched him. The hounds chased it as it had a terrible smell, one even Spiderman found more repulsive than the hounds, but more welcome! They were headed up when on the fly creature's chest began to flip on and off a red color, "Uh-oh!" it squeaked, and turned to the young Ben 10 when they least expected. The hounds were right under them waiting as their smells slowly began to get closer.

"Need a hand?" asked a green caped Martian who swooped down and latched them in both arms flying them to the ship above, but not before saying into a device on his collar "I have Ben and Spiderman, we are returning to the ship."

"Good, then let's leave!" Shredder snapped out but is glared from Batman, Gwen and Grandpa. "What? I waited to get the kid back!"

"They want us to get the others as well, Shredder." Doom seemed less amused with the obvious disregard of life, though he understood it being a less than callous man himself. "J'onn, do they know where the others are?"

"I asked it seems they separated a while back when coming under attack. I suppose we should search for them."

Doom thought it over as the Martian and his two parcels returned, and with a groan he says "10 minutes, any more and we take serious risk of detection."

* * *

Scaleface and Shocker got into a tight spot during the mess, along with young Torpid the child mutant. Scaleface has a powerful mutant ability to turn into a lizard that breathes flames and with Shocker and his sonic-knuckles weapon they fend off from back to back waves of the hounds. The hounds were in droves it seemed gnawing and scratching for the two. Shocker turned to see a large red thing plowing through the demons, "Juggernaught!" the red thing was the behemoth and he turned to them while plowing demons, "Hey pal! Roll on over here and open a path for us!" he was delighted, but turning to horror as Juggernaught turned away ignoring him, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Hey," Scaleface snapped in her reptilian voice, "At least take Torpid with you! She's only a child!"

"Well, I'm not a hero. That and it would seem your luck ran out old pal! See you later," and a deep laugh Juggernaught said "oops sorry about that, I plum forgot!"

Shocker screamed an obscenity that could not be heard from the screeching of a demon under his blasts. This was looking bad; he turned and asked "How long you think you can do this now?"

Scaleface fired their breath but had to let it drop to turn for claws. "I don't know!"

He shook his head; damn he should have known this would be how he died. He started a criminal and moved to a protector of some kid and woman mutant. He looked to a scream and saw a teddy bear and no owner; the girl had been dragged into the hordes around them. Scaleface screamed and lost track now being dragged out from the ankle and into the horde as well. Shocker now roared in blasts from one arm and the next, out and out again they rotated from blasts. Fangs and claws inched on his face, chest and limbs more each blast. He finally struck his fists together, and caused an epicenter that wrecked the area around him and forced the demons away with a mighty push. The many creatures were all shocked and dropped twitching from overexposure of sounds, he didn't think it would work… guess he was wrong.

Moving from the many beasts he heard a cracking sound. His head turned up slowly seeing the burnt remains of the mansion buckling, but not from dilapidation but one of the demons spryly preparing its rippling drool covered jaws to pounce on the still unaware Shocker. Shocker pointed his arms up and fired, but the devices were overloaded. The demon snarled louder and more grotesque, and Shocker just murmured "Shi-." Then it was on him, and there was nothing to him in the time to come.

* * *

The tall albino let his eyes flutter open, and Wendy who was hiding behind some debris with Ock slowly tending to the mutant's one leg saw his change, "Caliban, are you alright?"

Caliban shook his head, "Scaleface and Torpid are gone, and so I believe the stranger with the unusual braces on his arms. It is time for you to leave," he points away from the mansion, "That way is where the ship will be momentarily, move quickly. I feel my injury has gained attention, the scent of blood, and will only assist in your detection."

Doc Ock looked at the wound and smirked, "Yes, I was afraid of that." His one tentacle wrapped Wendy and the two ran off, while she detested he just ignored her in his mechanized arm. Caliban gave a weak smile to the caring human. 

When there was enough space the two heard screaming and barking. Wendy sunk into a slight depression but Ock had no time for this, he asked "Wendy?" she looked to him solemnly but with recognition "When you two were talking I found it curious, he spoke to you initially. What was it you spoke of? He did not seem the type to offer his name let alone got on with idle banter."

"He asked me about something."

Doc Ock would have asked what, but he is startled from the sound of a motor and a motorcycle slowly rolling between them and the outside gates, this cycle had a man in all black with a long rimmed hat and scarf, it was Dead Man. "Well, look I got, one imitation octopus and a real lovely lady to boot. Must be my lucky day because I was starting to think I was never going to find a good time with all the people running away!" Dead Man kicked his kickstand, and walked a little not realizing his motorcycle was still on and as the stand fell out his cycle peeled off, then smashed into a wall blowing up in a powerful explosion, he looked to it and dropped his shoulder dejectedly "Aw… crap."

Ock looked about, knowing he had no time even for this he asked "Where's a miracle when you need one?"

It came in a flash of metal and green, also a little blue too, Leonardo screamed with a fiery flash of steel against the adamantium of Dead Man, "Don't worry! I've go-," Leo then jerked, and lurched forward as a second sword pierced his abdomen and shell, "I got… this…" and Dead Man ripped out the sword leaving the deceased turtle lye. He wiped his katana quickly with white cloths before turning to the now completely freaked Doctor, and took a stance prepared to attack.

Forward in a prepared strike Dead Man prepared to unleash a massive onslaught of his blades, but is halted when he went through the two and straight onto the ground fumbling into his own face. Ock and Wendy look to find themselves translucent and now floating, looking more to find green arms around them and slowly trying to fly them to the waiting transport was J'onn. However, the good doctor was anything but light and made travel a little more troublesome. When half way he seemed to lower down again, and trying desperately to rise J'onn called "I need assistance!"

Doc Ock grumbled, "Blast, knew I should have gone on a diet last month. Always felt it would be the death of me…"

A cable latched around them and soon they were being pulled back to the ship's hangar. Shredder even helped, with the pulling of Batman, Ben, Gwen and Grandpa to bring the fortunate survivors back on board. Stopping to now look at things they had no clue if ANYONE was left alive now, so Shredder screamed "Let's get going already!"

Doom would have done that, if it wasn't for one large figure now running and then jumping to catch the open hangar, making it tip down from the back as his force was that great. They look to find Juggernaught giving a toothy grin, "Mind if I catch a ride?"

That was now when they heard more voices, turning to this they found Spyke and Callisto, but as soon as they had appeared so did the Cyclops demon with seven more of his hounds. He was headed for them as were his hounds. Callisto looked down, and thanking whatever god there may be she kicked a rifle formerly owned by the Infinites who attacked the mansion earlier, and began to fire into the beasts. Her marksmanship from mutant power made her able to strike all things with sight beyond sight, it made her a force with any thing she can make a projectile. Give her a gun and she was a death dealer like no other. After all the bullets were gone she had fully took down the hounds, but the Cyclops was another story. He seemed determined to finish things.

She looked around to see if maybe there is another one, Spyke tossed off some spines but they only were to be swatted or stick. She saw something, the handle of a gun! She leapt over and snatched it. However, a red blur revealed to be two large red serpents hissing at her face over the gun, she recalled these serpents earlier on Reiram, "Oh no…"

Spyke heard some screaming and turned to see what had happened, the red snakes were thrashing Callisto around like a rag doll and she sort of had no way of stopping them. Spyke tossed some spikes into the serpents, killing them and then turning to the Cyclops but he was impaled on two katana blades, Dead Man tipped his hat before grabbing them and ripping them out from the armored mutant, letting him then fall dead at the feat of the killer.

The ship was flying off now, and left quick as it had came. Dead Man had to chuckle to this, "Not bad eh stinky?"

The Cyclops demon snarled, before turning to the ship and letting its eye glow bright red. The eye flew out a gaseous ball that in turn hit the ship making it jolt madly. When it did, Wendy was jostled and fell from the ship, none saw it in time and she was unable to say anything as the knock left her unconscious. She fell into a collection of trash in some dumpster, which Dead Man kept track as she fell but then a sound like moving wind or force made the beast's back pop open and red stench drowned the Dead Man. Dead Man looked back to the badly injured and bleeding Shocker, he just smirked seeing Dead Man covered in red ooze. "He-he-heh-he, Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha-HA!" Shocker was hysterical with laughter before falling on his knees, then slumping to his one side.

Dead Man was confused what was so funny except how much he stank now. That was when he heard the howling, and turned to find several droves of the demon hounds slowly stalking toward him and flaring their nostrils. "Oh… now I get it?"

Shocker could hear the hounds whining in pain, and the man damning him for what he'd done. Somehow he felt pretty good about this.

* * *

Juggernaught laughed, "Looks like the girl's gone!"

Spiderman looked to the large man disbelieving what he heard, "What? Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"Hey, I'm not some babysitting hero! I saved my butt, screw everyone else!"

Spiderman gave a distasteful glare but had no energy to argue. The only thing he could do was slump over and relaxes; this was over for them now. He looked out the hangar and sighed deeply. To all those people lost, he would mourn them all his way… by living.

* * *

Meditation can only do so much… really. With two men outside her room arguing, but then quieting and just sitting to hear from her, it gets to a girl. Well, one was a man the other her teenage leader who acted like a man. Then again Slade had left to find Rose some time ago leaving just Robin stewing outside worried over the dark teen. The other titans even returned, and he told them he wanted to stay if anything changed but no it didn't and probably wouldn't for a long time. She now took a moment to feel a shift in the room and smiled lightly, before opening her eyes and seeing the familiar figure of nothing, Shadow. "What took you so long?"

"Well, moving between worlds is not an easy thing to do let alone track a mental connection from someone. So you needed my help," he gave a solemn look from his blue eyes, "I suppose it has to deal with your powers?"

When he said it she blinked, "How did you…" and it hits her, hard, bringing a rippling of emotions across the room and even causing Shadow to stand fast from a whirlwind of dark energy, "You knew something like this was going to happen! You knew about these mood-swings and the loss of control, didn't you?"

"There is not a loss of control, more a need to rectify it." He watched her give a deep red glare, her eyes became demonic, and "Raven you need to calm yourself." She looked at him but slowly allowed her mind to calm, and then as she fully was aware he gave a light sigh before turning from her and to the door, "I suppose he would rather be inside than out listening through the door. Should I let him in?"

Raven gave a glare before moving her hand and opening the door allowing Robin to falter in slightly, "You mind Robin? I need to talk with my friend here?"

Robin got up and looked at this friend, "So, who is he? What does he know about your powers?"

Raven got a bit more irate with the boy wonder with his unusual wants to know her every move. Shadow kind of stayed away from it and took to himself, but recognized movement under Raven's bed. A second he moved the mattress and a green mist covered the room taking him and the other two teens with it. Out from the closet walked the decrepit fiend with his albino bat, screaming, "At last the deed is done! To now return to our own matters and leave this world to its own accord!"

"Sure thing, and back to the dark snakey-creepy guy who tells us how we screw things up all the time!" he frowned, "Oh, that's not good is it master?"

"…." He glared to the rat with wings before snarling "Shut-up…"

They now were swallowed in green smoke from the relic and hid in the dark of a poorly lit room with computers and people, one person at a desk was Gendo while beside him was Ansem. The two were watching as lower parts of the room were scientists and one Miss Misato screaming out orders. On a large screen the view of the three Evangelion, and opposite to their respective machines are miniature views of the pilots.

Rasputin made a slight 'Psst' sound so Ansem could see what happened. "I found her as you asked, she's with him now."

"Just stay out of sight we don't need people saying they saw the decaying corpse of one of Russia's most recognized prophets." He rolled his eyes, "Especially not after he's been dead for several hundred years."

Rasputin rolled his eyes as it seemed almost an insult, which accidentally caused one to pop out. Rasputin saw the lack of his vision and gasped while it rolled off and down the stairs, but a shadow (namely Ansem's) moved to pull it back and away from a prying scientist's gaze. Taking the eye Rasputin put it back in, rolled it in slot, and then coughed uneasily before leaving. Gendo seemed confused, but pressed his glasses on asking "You sure you can handle him?"

"He'll be gone soon don't worry." The screens were now starting to show the strange robots as printouts, with special symbols inside connectors, "What is this?"

"The startup process for the Evangelion demands we must check all status and devices within them before using them. If not it could prove dangerous." Gendo saw Ansem now leaving, "You won't watch?"

"You worry of your work and I'll worry over mine."

Gendo Ikari has many times questioned the partnership, but none the less he accepted this and left it as it was. He looked to see the screen on the far left now showing the image of 20 foot tall robots, not the Eva but smaller variations called Sentinels. Sentinels remind one of tin men on steroids, being a large man of metal but flat faces and emotionless expressions. The robots had an arsenal of missile launchers or rifle like weapons. They also have built in arsenals yet were less designed for those uses. They all were lined outside the bashing waves of the island's shore where sure enough a large wave quickly was making way toward the island. The wave was now rising higher, and higher, until it showed a shadow appearing. The shadow soon ripped from the sea and stood taller than these robots, it was a gigantic elongated shellfish lobster, and with one arms a large pincer and the other more swords like variation of a pincer. As its bead like eyes moved about, they spotted the droids now preparing to fire and so it swung the sword like arm through them making them rip and explode in the attack. The Sentinels now attacked with their own weapons but it proved useless. The lobster, known as Ebirah, now began to screech a high pitched screech before slicing and then snipping the droids. It was nothing more than a diversion and time consumer to allow their true weapon to begin work. That weapon was a special set of three robots.

* * *

It was not a mansion, but this was their new home. The students walked along the rusty and sometimes dirty metal halls of an underground bunker. The place has been one of several secret hiding places of Magneto. He offered it as a new home which each mutant now took to cleaning up a little, while also choosing where to stay. The adult mutants followed Magneto to have a special meeting, while the younger students did some cleaning and care taking. Magneto sat at a desk with one leg missing causing it to slope a bit, so he raised the metal desk through magnetism and pulled some metal strips from a dilapidated filing cabinet, "I know it's not home sweet home," he then placed the strips under the missing leg to create a new one, "yet this is all we can do for now. With some home style touches we may make a place worthy of calling our home. That will of course rely on you, my friends and faculty." Logan sort of gave a snort, to which Magneto quickly asked "What is it?"

"Just surprised you're still trying to play school Magnus."

Sabretooth got up and began to growl, but he was halted when Magneto raised a hand to calm the mutant. "It's understandable even now we all seem on edge. I want to keep the spirit of Charles's memory alive here, and in his spirit I always found a mentor and leader to be unified. As that to my example this is a school, they are the students, and we are the mentors. We will need to offer guidance and support to them all and that will be exactly what I am planning on giving."

Logan now gave a little bit of a nod; looking back to the kids he blinked somewhat surprised, "Well you look at that?"

They all did and found Quicksilver running along pulling metal sheets off the walls, while Cyclops used his optics to melt them and make raw metal that later is being cooled by Iceman to make them shined again. After that they were caught by Jean who was sending them to another wall where there were more bare pieces, torn off by Colossus and sent through toward Multiple Boy who was a mutant with Beast earlier. The scene made Magneto smile, they still had hope, "Logan start cutting some of the raw metal in the bunker out back to about the size of these panels." He saw Logan give a smirk and run to do just that. "Cloak and Dagger," they turn to him, "teleport those metals from Logan to here for replacing the more rusted metals, while Sabretooth and Mystique start to organize things here. Storm can help Bobby with cooling the metals off, and Sunfire I think you're more suited for melting these alloys than Scott." They went to act; Beast now walked over and seemed to smirk, "It would seem we may make a home out of this place after all."

"Neither Doors, walls nor a floor does a home make." Beast simply walked from the room finishing, "It tis the hearts and souls who live it, that define it as either true or fake. Remember that you are now not only a mentor to these students, but in some cases perhaps a father."

Magneto gave a nod and followed behind, soon manipulating the metallic frame of the building while they worked. It would take several hours what for some may take months. Magneto would with his X-men make a home in but a day. However, it would take the rest of their lives to make this a family again.

* * *

Nerv headquarters has prepared to the finest element for the next step, initialization of the Evangelion. Misato, the beautiful woman with the purple hair now gave a stern look to the screen, "Shinji?" Shinji the young teen boy looked startled, "Are you nervous?" he gave a nod, to which she said, "Don't be, this will be over soon enough. Then we can go back to my apartment and celebrate! What about you Rei are you doing well?"

Rei never spoke much or at all, she seemed to look at commander Ikari and said "I'm adequate."

Misato blanched from the answer or lack of, "Yeah, that's just great." She then turned to a scientist asking "How much longer? Do you have an estimate on how long we have to work with?"

"We've only been able to scrounge up energy for I would guess, 2 or 3 minutes?"

"That's all?" she looked shocked, "Well, it will have to do right, Commander?" Ikari noticed her tone and gave a look; she meant nothing by it more irritated by the lack of power for their defense systems to operate. She sighed, and said "Okay you heard them team. We have only that long to act before the Eva will be useless, and that means you have to kill Ebirah in that time."

"Are you serious?" Shinji looked at the monster as it sloshed along the sea near the central point of the city, "It's so huge and downright vicious, and we can't kill it with only that little bit of time!"

"Well you're going to have to! Asuka, you are more skilled with the element of water so you can lead the operation. Rei will be equipped with an M-range Missile Launcher, tri-shot. Shinji, you get the rifle and an energy-blade. Asuka will have the luxury of a Harpoon and rifle, so use all those as best you can."

"Ha, this will be easy!" Asuka showed her confident attitude to all the onlookers loving attention as it is, "I'll take him down in five seconds, watch!"

"Don't any of you be careless you hear me? That thing's armor is thick and hard, and those pincers will slice you down if you get caught! He has a weak spot in the armor like real shellfish; the joints are weak so take advantage. Make it quick and good, we don't have any luxury but the fact he's not able to leave the safety of the water and seems resilient to venture onto land."

That was when the green light was given off, and Misato gave a salute saying "Good luck, each of you!" they nod to her and then are shot upward to the surface.

* * *

Raven awoke to find herself in a serene meadow, and with lovely butterflies fluttering about with unicorns and flowers. She then glared angrily before asking "What kind of hell am I in?"

"It's not so bad." She looked over to find Shadow, he was helping a dazed Robin up from a bed of flowers, and "I've known worse places to be transmuted to spiritually. I have a friend who can probably help fix this." he looked around and sighed, "Well; hopefully she's not still upset with me. Grace may be one well mannered woman, but she has a temper to be sure."

Robin rubbed the back of his head looking at a babbling brook and the sipping elk to the other side. "Well, if we're here then why?"

Shadow looked about and offered no answer. He felt uneasy with the place for perhaps whatever crazy reason his heightened sense would often give the feel of danger. Looking around, Shadow now offered his only idea at the moment. "Something brought us here for a reason. I doubt we can merely leave, so let us seek out our host to force a speedy return."

* * *

Three large metal coffins seemed to have erected from the ground. NERV's three Eva would erupt from these metal monoliths, and before them are two monoliths to each coffin type, with the weapons the Eva will be able to use. The front of the coffins lower slowly and Ebirah, which was once sloshing about mindlessly, now acted with a goggle of the tubular eyes to this movement. When the Eva appeared Ebirah seemed to let out a shrill screech before moving slowly closer to shore, then beating the two pincers as if trying to mimic rubbing one's hand's together with anticipation. The next thing it knew the machines begin to glow in their eyes, and act upon Misato's order of "Evangelion, GO!"

Shinji moved the purple Eva, Unit 01, with the diodes along his head and wish for it to act; it was like simulation any other time. Asuka grabbed from the longest pillar her javelin, "Alright! Watch and learn! I used to catch fish like this back home; you two can sit back and take some notes!"

Misato, seeing her actions, now snapped "Damn it Asuka! Don't go showboating; you're stronger as a team!"

"They'll just slow me down!" the red Unit 02 bent at the knees, and then jumped as Asuka proclaimed "This was over before it ever even began!"

Asuka leapt in with the javelin striking its pointed end onto the beast's armored back. It screeched, but forced up making the javelin now bend and vault Asuka overhead. She landed on the other side of the creature and on land, now running to make a fast dotting attack of the beast from shore. It screamed like before, trying to latch a pincer but each time Asuka was able to retrieve and then strike again. Then one time her strike caught in a joist along the beast's many legs along the belly causing a massive scream and eruption of water as it dove down. She gave a scream of laughter, and then followed along the shoreline preparing to attack it again.

Misato kept shaking her head, "Why that little…" she gave the greatest of glares ever to be shown, "Asuka! You've wasted almost half a minute; we're running out of time! Kill it now! You two," Shinji and Rei each looked to Misato on their screens, "give her some support! What do you think this is some vacation? Just be careful not to pull your plugs, the cables in the back of the Eva give them the extra energy, without them an Eva only has five seconds to do what it's doing before full shutdown!"

They nod and begin to run toward Asuka and Ebirah. Asuka is jabbing her javelin into the water trying to harpoon the monster at its end. When she struck one time though, she found her harpoon was stuck! "Wh-what the?" she pulled but then found a large pincer had her… well, pinched and tugging her to the edge. Realizing what trouble she was in she let go of the javelin and began to back off, but the smaller pincer now snatched her ankle and dragged her straight into the water. She grabbed behind her, anything, and she just so happened to pull on the edge of the shore enough to keep hold. Because of that Ebirah took the larger pincer and tossed the javelin away, then reached to snap onto the arm holding the shore but instead saw the cable, and reached it to snap the cable from the back. The time in Asuka's observation room had turned red and only had five seconds, she was too off guard as she lost grip and is dragged into the waters by the crustacean.

"Asuka, use your rifle! It will work both in the water and on land!"

"I, uh, left it back there Misato." Asuka pulled off a lame laugh, and kind of twiddled her thumbs together, "Sorry, must have been over excited."

"You forgot… it?" Misato's eye twitched, realizing how badly it looked for her right now as she was the one who was training these three, Misato snapped into charge, "Asuka! Shinji, Rei you have to save her! She only has five seconds of power! Without it she's at that thing's mercy!"

Shinji gave a nod realizing the danger, and Rei not really with anything emotional but more determined look seemed to agree. "Hey, don't forget your rifles either!" The two ran to the shoreline (after snatching their rifles) and looked down for the glimpse of either the two submerged beings, but only saw water hitting the shore and dark patches of deep blue. "Misato, we can't find them!"

Misato slapped her face, "Well, of course not their under water! Maybe you could go and try swimming instead?"

"I wouldn't recommend that ma'am. The only advantage they have is being outside of the water sea, once in it the Eva will be more susceptible to Ebirah." Misato glared a look to the scientist who sunk into his seat, "I was just stating…"

"Yeah, I hear ya! Okay, look, we only have 3.45 seconds left! So something!"

Rei looked to her large missile launcher, "Depth charges." She stated so blankly, and then turned the missiles to the water firing all three into the depths. Asuka was under the sea with the large beast now holding her arms, she struggled to break her limbs free but it was no go. Then she saw as little claws at its face moved apart, showing them aligned along the jaw it let small feelers out and slowly inched its mouth to her head. Eyes wide, teeth chattering in fear Asuka was expecting to have her Eva's face ripped off when three objects streamed past them, then exploded. The ripping tides of water made Ebirah loose hold of the red Eva 02, and then the bubbling effect raised the Eva up and dunk from the surface, long enough that Shinji saw her and pulled Asuka from the water quickly and then over land. "Oh, my hero! Shinji-kun!" Shinji blushed as Asuka gave him the praise, "Then again, don't think you'll be saving me next time. Just wait, second round I'll beat the next threat without even a…"

Misato screamed into her megaphone, "Next time you're going to listen you little brat! You hear me!"

Shinji heard Asuka say something under her breath, and he snickered, "What was that?" the two women snapped on him for snickering and so he yelped with the unexpected screams.

Rei looked off to the sea and with her rifle aimed, "Ebirah!" and sure enough her rifle is struck out of her hand, and then she screamed as the long saber like pincer impaled her Eva in the chest, causing the pain of the Eva to in turn ripple into her own body. Shinji had not noticed right away, but he did notice his cockpit go red, they had only a minute of energy left! Misato was aghast with this, and snapped to her engineers "Turn off the pain receivers in Unit 00! Right now!"

Then, before the engineer could act Commander Ikari screamed "Delay that order! This is combat, the pain receivers are designed to relay damage in order to focus the pilot to acting in a sense of survival."

Misato looked to the commander, and screamed "Are you mad? That thing will kill her if we don't do some thing!"

"Then do your job, and focus on destroying the enemy."

Misato turned from him and to the large monster and Unit 00, "Rei, can you hear me?" she gave no response as she fought the monster with its claw in her stomach and her Eva's, "Listen to me! Drag it deeper into land! We need it out and away from the water!" Rei gagged, and then seemed to shift her one foot back and dragged herself and the monster with it, "Good! Just keep going and," Misato snapped "Watch out!"

Rei looked and saw the larger pincer coming to her head, she screamed as its razor edges latched to her Eva's neck, and only by ramming her arm into the center middle of the pincer and wedging it in does she keep the pincer from snipping her head clear off. Holding the one arm with her left, and now keeping the large pincer open by her right wedged deep, she now sent one leg back and dragged it once more. Shinji looked horrified at the sight, how could she keep going? Ebirah was tightening its large pincer and causing more and more of the arm to break, soon enough it would snap the arm off and with it the Eva's head, and if the pain receivers are on… Rei's head will be the same! "No, I can't…" he scrambled up and retrieved his rifle from the ground, "I can't die here! I can't!"

Shinji aimed up and fired several rounds passing the two, but between them. Then the bullets hit the mark of the saber pincer's joint and caused the weak armor to break, and tendons inside to sever. Ebirah reels in pain with the torn limb and Rei ripped herself from the creature, it with rage pulled its large claw back and swung her away with a strong swipe. Turning to Shinji it now scuttles forward, Shinji fires but misses Ebirah's other arm joint, causing sparks over the hard shell. It strikes on him but he used the gun as a blocker, and then snapped it inside the large claw to make it jam. Pulling at his side, Shinji's Eva snatches a small handle from his thy compartment, and removing it forged a knife like a hunting knife, which he now swung up and into the elbow of Ebirah's arm to then twist, snapping the cartilage and armor in one fowl twist. It screamed all hell for that one as the pincer snapped in all force, breaking the gun but not even close to Shinji and Unit 01 as both ducked out of the pincer. Shinji reached for his knife but the loose claw was flung as a dead stub, knocking him off kilter and to the ground. Ebirah then made way to sea hoping to escape.

"Damn it! Stop him somebody!" Misato begged, but they all seemed done.

Ebirah was making its way but then thunderous footsteps, Unit 00, Rei's unit with a large hole in the chest jumped at the monster's long flipper tail. She had over her head in the dive the saber claw, and stabbed it to the ground with the flipper tail in the center. Ebirah screams as it is anchored in place, thrashing about frantically trying to get free. That is when it sees Rei and her Eva. It swings about and rolls onto her with its mouth opening, small claws peeling and preparing to rib into her head. However, it instead is with a rifle rammed into its mouth and straight down its throat, Ebirah's two tub like eyes turn up to Shinji in Unit 01, and his Eva like himself looked in hate and rage though one may have thought a robot could not show emotion, and then they pull the trigger making holes and ripping shellfish meat to splatter about as the monster is torn from the inside out of the rifle's fire.

Then the energy in the Eva shut down, and it fell to its knees with its arms and head hanging, but fell forward to seem as if weeping. Shinji did just that as he was crying incredibly hard inside his Eva, and left the workers at NERV and the other two pilots confused. Asuka asked "What's wrong with him? He won didn't he?"

Rei looked to her monitors seeing his was off as well, but knew what was happening. "Shinji…"

"Why… do we have to be here?" Misato quirked her head as Shinji's words still made it across the screen, "I didn't want to die, we didn't and it didn't need to. What was the reason and why does anyone have to fight like this, to kill like this? What did we ever do to deserve this? I thought, I thought I was a kid, why are we fighting like this?"

The transmission was off, Misato turned to see Gendo flipping it off and then walking away to leave, "Well done everyone, let's clean up and repair the Eva. The next attack could be any time."

Misato looked to the monitors, and then to Gendo which she felt a rage growing. She ran after the Commander who had left the main room and asked "What the hell is wrong with you? These are just a bunch of kids! You act like they mean nothing! That's your own son, your son, out there nearly dying for you!"

Gendo looked to her and gave a serious look, Ansem now coming to stand at his side. "Misato, you have a job to do and so do I. Let us leave it at that shall we?"

Misato, looking between them, gave a nod and said "Yes sir."

* * *

Raven felt a tug at her back so she turned finding Robin was there tugging her cape, "Geez, I thought you were fearless. I never thought you'd be at my coat tails like this."

After his look she offered a smile, to which he seemed lightened by as he followed. "I wasn't scared."

"Then what is it?"

"I was worried, what happened with you before?"

Shadow slashes his claws through a vine; they were forcing way through a jungle and noticed the question. "Ah her powers, with our current predicament I almost forgot." Shadow made way through the vines and low hanging limbs telling what happened, his claws forged into long blades from what seemed a dark shadow of his body, "The major thing you must realize was Raven and her father. When her father was purged from her she gained a generous amount of freedom. Even if she was free of her father it does not change what she is, she is the daughter of one of the most feared demons of all time. That means she will in turn have a fruitful amount of demonic aura no matter how you look at it." Shadow swiped through a vine, and this area leads to a small pond where your overview will be from between several small trees, all around them were larger trees and vines so in a clearing they stopped to rest. "Well, when the training took full effect Raven was able to in turn channel her demonic self. Think of it as a transformation similar to your full soul self, yet also now deepening to the darker power. You will be able to invoke your most secret of arts hidden in the blood of your father, while your mortal soul will in turn benefit you with your Azarath powers. I'm sure after a while it will seem like any other activity."

Raven shook her head, "Oh, yeah! The time I release all hell and burn the earth to a crisp will be just like the time I went to band camp!"

Robin scratched his head, "Um, you never went to… oh, sarcasm!"

"Thank you captain obvious…"

Shadow gave her a stern look, "I see so you fear the darkness will consume you?" she gave a nod and then was pushed to the ground, looking up stunned she saw Shadow's eyes burn red, and his nails grow. Wings ripped from his back on skillfully knocking Robin on his butt and then holding him down, and then along the back long spines ripped and tore out. Raven fought to get free but then came a blood curdling roar and fangs had torn from the lower jaw forging two horrid collections of teeth. Raven is horrified, but the voice of Shadow asked with a more demonic tone, "Do you fear I will consume you? That my own darkness will destroy you? Or do you see who the master is?"

She looked close and smiled, "Shadow? You have it under control?"

"Not completely for even now a part of me seeks to destroy you and Robin, yet I am the one who decides such. If I can tame a monster like this, with only a slight hand over it." He now slowly turned back to the cool, calm and collected Shadow, "Then my dear you will be able to command yours with utmost ease, I believe."

Raven rubbed her neck, "Well I hope so. I'd hate to do what you did to Robin."

"You and me both…" Robin wheezed from the ground, humbled. Shadow took a moment to help the titan to his feet again.

Raven looked out at the pond and noticed her reflection. She was strong, and capable. Ever since this began she's surprised herself time and time again. She defeated Akaige once, and she took full control of her powers, then you had that Sephiroth guy who was hunting her down for what seemed like forever. Raven was perhaps more powerful than any mere mortal in the entire world, and her universe to boot. However, it also meant something else. With a sigh she realized what this means. Others would see her as the most powerful, and either falls to be jealous or fearful. Raven would be alone on a whole new level. "Raven." She turned to Robin who put a hand on her shoulder, and as if by nature he felt the misery she was having, "We're going to be there for you. Your friends, the Titans, will always help you where and when you need it." He then gave the cocky smirk, "After all that's what heroes and friends do."

She placed her hand onto his, and smiled saying "Thanks Robin."

Robin couldn't help but blush, "Like I said it's what we do."

Shadow took a moment to relish the sweet moment. He does not recall many in his life, so he does enjoy them as he can. Shadow took a moment to sigh in admiration, but he got a tingle up his spine as if something, or someone, was watching them. "Robin and Raven best to prepare yourselves!" he's taking a very rigid stance as they came aware, "I feel a presence in the air! It is not an inviting one that is for sure!" the three are getting ready, Shadow snarls lowly "Where is Grace? She could help us out at the moment." A light chuckle escaped his throat, "Leave it to an angel to keep someone waiting to be saved."

Just about then the group was assaulted from above; they came in droves as blue men of armor, with long knight type helmets with long point bending funnels off the backside. The open visor was showing black nothingness, but their golden eyes glowed deeply from the visor slot. These monsters seemed to hop from one leg to the other, Shadow knew them well, "Heartless, the Soldier types! We should be okay these monsters have no honest threat."

Robin has drawn his staff, and tries to twirl it then strike a pose, "Don't worry! This won't take long!"

Raven went to say something, but she's suddenly pulled over the pond water to a clearing on the other side, and the trees between them both bend and cover to hold the two from reaching one another again. Robin was going to call her name but he finds himself being attacked, and tries to remove the nuisance to later attempt a rescue.

* * *

Raven is plopped down hard on the ground; an arena like area is obviously what was here waiting for her. Turning about she sees nothing was here; it was a mirror of the area she was just at except lacking one Robin and Shadow. She then heard movement and turned to find trees moved to allow her more room making the area larger. She followed opposite of where the pond once was, and found a longer field with some large boulders, and some open area with even several loosely planted trees. The thing that caught her attention was at the far end was two metal domes, or as she got closer it seemed they were like metal halves of orbs. She looked very curiously, and then realized, this wasn't good.

She flew back as a large crackle came forth and the ground broke around the orbs. They shot up, then arced down at her but she barely passed them stumbling onto her back and lying there, she watched the dust rise and a large behemoth of a figure that almost matched Cinderblock rose from the hole. It was hunched by the outline of its shadow in the dust and only this and two glowing gold eyes were apparent. As the dust cleared the silver like metal shined brightly as did the two large orbs or globes it pulled with long chains. The chains wrapped large metal armor arms, and held in large gauntlet type hands with red glowing orbs in their back hand, the orbs glow to the colored runes that seemed to decorate along the body. The entire body is armor and mimicked the physique of a man rippled with muscle. The only oddity was two legs bent at the hind, which was like an animal but on two it mimics the stance of a man again. The face is man like, but a grin is constantly plastered with fangs bare, and two sets of tusks at the outer sides of the jaw line coming like those of the Asian types of demon masks. Its head also had hair, but the hair seemed to be large flowing flames that flicker wildly over its head in random madness. The monster stood tall, and raised its right hand cupped over the ball to swing it like a rock in its fist. Raven shifted to her soul and phased into the ground, then away and toward the place she had been before. She failed to realize a red barrier was now around the entire area, she was trapped. Stopping and turning, she turned to her former self but only a moment before her eyes glow and nail elongate, "Okay, let's do this!"

The beast screams in a high creaking metallic sound and the flames raised off like a bellowing furnace. It now began to walk toward her and Raven just charged her hands forging blades over her backhands, and glowing her nails with her aura. The monster swung the two flail like weapons out, first the right and then the left, pulling them back as Raven rolled or ducked. She quickly made way to the monster, leaping over a flail then running along its chain she made the distance less and directly toward the beast. Leaping off the chain close to it, she slashed over its face and continued as she fell down its body with her nails sparking off. She looked triumphant, but was shocked in seeing nothing happened! The beast pulled an arm and the flail returned, it now swung with the globe and struck Raven so hard it sent her straight into the barrier, which she learned was energized as it fiercely shocked her draining some of her strength,

Falling to the ground she stumbled, then shook her head, looking to the beast it's about to strike with one of the pitches. She rolled and charged her aura from her hands into small orbs. Firing them they explode along the monster's form, but it is not even phased or dented. The beast swings a loose flail over head like a propeller removing the dust formed by her attacks, then swings with added momentum and speed causing massive damage to the ground Raven was just at. The damage was so great it launched chunks of dirt and stone, three hit her in the chest and one to the jaw. She rolled from her leap to hold the wounds, a drip of blood escapes her lip and she smiles, "The monster of all time. Cinderblock would love to meet you, freak."

The monster got to be a little upset, so it swung its two flails over head in a lasso type motion. She thought perhaps it would use them as lasso, but it instead the monster just let them go farther and longer, letting them twirl and twirl. That was when (with not a moment's notice) the two swung and clanged together, wrapping along the chains and then the two balls hitting together. Before they could unwind the monster pulled straight down and made the combined chain and globes forcefully plummet in a line, ripping up earth as they struck the ground in maddening force. Raven was so awe-struck; she only made her field to block the force of the orbs as they cracked over her field, perhaps so much it shattered it! The dust made from the attack formed a veil of no sight, and only the beast's creaking metal roar came after this devastating assault. It quickly pulled its arms and chains apart from one another, unwinding them and then sending the orbs back to it. The chain was piling into a neat pile at either side of its feet, and the globes it soon put between its large arms as if like mere playing balls, wrapped snuggly sparking when he latched them. Looking on the beast could only grunt in its manner as she seemed dead. No mortal survives that attack, even if with a shield.

It kept a confident type of posture. Then it stumbled in a slight panic, all the dust showed in clearing was rubble! Where was the girl? "Azarath…"

IT turned in utmost shock, there she is behind it! She's chanting, and gathering a large amount of energy! "Metrion," how, she must have used the time her shield gave to teleport… no, to hitch a ride on his globe! She rode on the globe! "ZIN…!" he flipped his wrist and placed the globe at the nook of his hand, then flicked his thumb shooting the globe at the speed of a bullet and into Raven, smashing her and then into the field where she yelped "AHHHHH!"

Falling off with sparks as the globe rolled, Raven coughed and panted with marks and now blood, her right arm broken when she had tried to stop that globe. Merely trying to raise the shattered limb she found pain. The monster screamed its mechanized method, but readied to swing the next one from over head. Raven looked in such malice and hate, but waited. A smile over her face, she waited for it and as it came… "ZINTHOS!!!"

Startled, the energy she used poured and pushed the globe, it rolled off the attack and struck the monster over the face so hard it stumbled back several paces wobbling too and fro. She noticed, as it did the flame of its hair was less vigorous. She took it as a sign and ran forward, channeling power over her foot, and kicking the orb again this time to his face harder and making it volley up. She then flew, channeled more energy in her one good arm, and then stretched herself out as she peeked the height of herself and the ball extending one arm up. The monster is still dazed, and she screams, "SERVE!" to then slam the globe down as a spike as if a game of volleyball.

The globe struck into the shaft of the flames, and the beast screamed before thrashing its head about. Raven slowly lets herself levitate in spot, holding her broken arm and covering it with energy from her good one. She had a weak smile to the idea she won, and she was wrong as when the beast screamed the globe popped off its head, but it seemed it used all its power to do such a task and not blow itself up. She lowered herself to its level pulling her fist with a mass of dark energy. It screamed, and she snapped "Shut up!" to then release the punch and sent the monster reeling back straight off its heels and then to its back, the flame died out and its eyes were out cold. Landing, she breathed deep, and made a small V with her fingers, "Feels good… to be, the victor." And she dropped onto her knees breathing deeply.

"**_Victor?"_** a voice asked out of nothingness, a voice of absolute ruin and venom like rasp. Its tone though none attached, seemed to have a most disturbing manner in which it seemed inviting, yet so unkind and chilling. One would need to imagine the very voice of the truest angel of death to know it. "**_When one is trapped, one is never victorious. For look,"_** she turned up seeing the monster slowly disappearing into nothingness as a red swirling mist took it from her sight, "**_The very beast you hardly triumphed over has now left, and I promise it will return… if, I should be so bold, were to ignore my proposal."_**

"Proposal?" She had a smart smirk, "I'm not interested in disembodied voices. They not only piss me off but never have anything good to say."

A foreboding chuckle filled the air, "**_Ah, the dry wit I hear so much about. You certainly are… like your mother."_**

"Mother?" Raven seemed startled, "How do you know my mother?"

"**_Who does not know her, the great and gorgeous priestess of light Arella, your mother? A most unfortunate creature to had been seeded by one, such as… well, you know whom I speak of. That cur, you unfortunately call father."_** Raven seemed ashamed, and this entity picked up on it, "**_Now, now did I upset you? What a shame of me to do such a thing. You, who has been called to talk to me."_**

"You want to talk?" Raven stood up a bit tired, "What about?"

"**_Do you know what has, or is rather; happening to your world?"_** Raven gave a nod, "**_I see. So you were contacted by the brothers of the Trinity? I'm sure they had,"_** the voice scoffed, "**_Some minor interest in your plight."_**

"Sounds like you don't like them very well."

"**_Observant, are we not my dear? Yes I do have a problem as you should as well."_**

She, Raven, crossed her arms and quirked a brow, "Really? I suppose you wouldn't mind telling me why?"

"**_Oh well not at all!" _**It seemed delighted with her choice, "**_They are butchers, my dear. They divide the souls of mortals and immortals as if two stacks of meat, the good and the bad. They try to sever the forces of good and evil, to make a force that is as they see preferable. Those two, they have for long enough made the decisions of what is right and what is wrong."_**

"It seems to work, as I doubt they see you as anything good."

"**_No, most definitely not. Yet Bahamut would seek to remove the element of evil completely. He would kill Tiamat and her hideous broods of the demonic clans. Then what? He would turn on Leviathan, for his are the first attempt to evil as those who seek freedom to be a passive can in turn become evil. As later to come, those of a darker nature for good would be target, those like your Batman or… why would it be you? How would you feel if he commanded the death of you, a half demon, for the tainted blood of your birth?"_**

Raven, with flex of her fist and snarl of her lips merely said "Let him come and try."

"**_What of Robin, or Cyborg a very sin of technology meant to die but ignoring the law of nature. Neither of them will be spared, nor would the others for surely one who views himself as the supreme of all beings, would in turn look down upon such lowly worms! Not very becoming, is it?"_**

"You know what, shut up!" Raven growled in her throat, "I know you're not trying to kill gods for your views of how they wronged you! You're just doing it for power, for your own sick and twisted need and wants! You can't lie to me! Your voice is nothing but a wolf in sheep's vocals. Come out, show yourself! I won't be tempted by you!"

The voice was silent for a little bit of a while. Raven glared more and more angrily, "I know why you hide, why you don't fight them directly. You're scared of them, and more importantly me!"

It did not seem affected, so Raven screamed "Damn it, what or who are you? Why won't you show yourself?"

"**_I am the unnoticed cries of starving children. I am whimper of the beaten beast. I am the falling of dreams to nightmare and drenching of men's skin from blood and death. I am the essence of nothingness, the void of lifelessness, the breath of pointlessness and loss of worth. I am… Despairs…"_**

A horrid rift of wind picked up sending leaves and dust spiraling all around, and a swirl of red spirals before Raven. She sees a man in a red robe and hood, his eyes burn with a most unholy of luster's. The voice made his being known and with both arms outstretched, it forged flames off its tips to create in one arm a red short sword that was bent at the hilt, with a hideous rusted color but soon realized to be flesh woven over bone and yet metal as its form. The second hand made a long sword like a Katana, but it had strange words scribed over its faces and seemed to glow a bloody red in the clasp of the man. "Allow me to introduce myself, I have so many names in so many worlds, granted, but one will work here. You may call me, 'Oh God, why does the pain keep coming!'."

Raven gave a most unamused snarl, and said, "Only if there's an echo will you be hearing that!"

The barrier was suddenly smashed in as they were about to fight. From this came a woman, or so it seemed but she wore silken baggy pants blue in color, with blue leather shoes like Arabian shoes. Her chest was in a blue vest like type of garb and her arms in loose silken sleeves. Her hair was brown and golden with a slight length, and brown/golden eyes also seemed to match her face. Standing relatively no taller than Raven, she carried two swerved like blades, almost Arabian as if she was such a person or being, but Raven also noticed two large white feathered wings off the woman's back and they spread up as if like the hairs of a cat rearing to fight. The man, Scarlet Robe, merely narrowed her flaring eyes and plowed the two blades into his chest where they tore open and allowed a red mist to be freed, and in those rips were hideous moans and screams reeking from his wounds. "You always seem to ruin my fun, as if reprimand from your dear sister Britannia." Spoke Scarlet.

Raven looked in awe, she was Britannia's sister? "I owe you fiend, for it is of you and your allies my sister rots in the realms of hell where I am not able to venture, and where she is lost to me for all time!"

Scarlet Robe chuckled, "A shame, she never should have voiced her fears of a force that endangered the great Bahamut. His delusion of invulnerability is so much like his sister," a stern glare to emphasis his next sentence rippled it through this winged woman, "One of many things they both seemed to share."

"They share nothing you abomination!"

"Hmm, you know how little they do truly share. So little you know in deed…" there is a loud smashing sound, he turns and sighs, "Seems our time is up. Mind this, girl. I will return and not even this minor interruption a second time will save you, know that." And he sure enough was wrapped in red swirls from his feet before disappearing.

Raven looked to the woman, and asked "Who are you anyway?"

The woman sheathed her Scimitar and smiled, "Grace, they call me Grace. I am an angel of war, and I have often been looking to find the beast that caused my sister such harm. To see him," she looked to where a little of the red smoke was lingering, "it was not what I expected, somewhat." She then looked to Raven and did a bow, "I was happy to serve you."

"Serve me?"

"Yes!" Shadow rips through the trees exclaiming, "She's my friend, Grace. She must have come across you and not me. A surprise, actually."

"I found you all a while ago I merely did not make myself known." Shadow gave a glare as this came, "Do not fear I was only watching to see who may have needed my help. I'm sure proud to have found this one." She tipped her head to Raven who was healing herself again. "What would have happened if I had not come…?"

"Who was she fighting?"

"Scarlet Robe, it would seem."

Shadow seemed to be absolutely bewildered, "So he is the one behind this? I never would have…"

Robin was interested, "Who are you talking about?"

The woman, Grace, gave a sweet smile and rubbed Robin on the head, "Don't worry we'll track him down. First we best get you all home."

Sure enough they disappeared and were home again. Grace turned to Shadow, "Need a ride, big guy?" she rubbed a wing onto his chest and in a blush, he said "I appreciate it but… I-I really must be going."

"Aw, well if you get the chance say hi to Zeruge for me!"

"He's still asleep, last I looked. Yet I'm sure once we learn how to wake him, I'll tell him for you."

Grace gave another bow before wrapping herself in her wings and disappearing; soon Shadow melted into the shadows of the room and disappeared as well. Raven looked to Robin and smiled, "Well, how was it?"

He sighed before falling onto her bed exhausted, "Exhausting…"

"Tell me about it."

* * *

Shinji stuck his face to the cup of noodles. "Are you serious?"

"Aw, come on! I cooked them my self!" Misato downed a bottle of beer tossing it with a whole batch of others, "I love these things!"

Asuka, eyeing it more distantly asked "How can you cook it? It's just noodles and hot water."

"You have to cook the water…" Misato glared to Asuka with venom in her words, "You know what water is right? You're supposed to be an expert swimmer, little miss gets nearly drowned to death!"

Asuka screams "Oh come on! I didn't mean it! You're so mean, god!"

Shinji had to smirk, and then he pulled the noodles up and slurped them in, but blanched as he bit them off. "Um… they're still a little…"

"What?" Misato slammed her beer down and eyes Shinji, but as he's scared she smiled, "Hey, this might be the beer talking but you're kind of cute." She shrugs as he was mortified, "Well, for a kid I mean."

Asuka gave a giggle, "Gee, I think you scared him to death." Shinji was turning red, "Oh wait, he's turning color he's okay. Besides, he likes that Rei girl I'll bet. Can't blame the virgin."

"What! He's a virgin!" Shinji was now beet red, "Wow, that's amazing! They still have those?" Misato slurped a bit of beer, "Well, damn that's so wild! I mean to really see one. I guess that's something interesting isn't it Asuka? Hey maybe you could be his first! That'd be one hell of a thing… wait, you said he likes Rei? What the hell!" she's now rambling off at anything, even how crappy her noodles turned out and all.

Asuka is giggling at this the whole time, and Shinji just eats his noodles blushing, "Hey," he looks to the red head "Aren't you going to say anything?"

He frowned, "Why? You'll just make more fun if I do… besides, I don't like Rei like that."

"Oh, but you DO like her!" Misato teased, "That's so cute. If I was a couple more years younger, I'd totally probably rock your world." She giggled, "Hell, ask my old pal Ritsuko Akagi, she's been friends with me for years. She took a little vacation and should be back soon."

Shinji was totally red, "I-I would never, I mean…" he sighs, "This is not right."

"Relax kid! This is just a little fun, for all the good work you did. You tore that nasty monster right up." Misato now rubbed her head, "Man, what a fight. I thought you guys were goners but you pulled it off. Congratulations, by the way!" she then downed her beer, and tossed it into the pile, a shiver relayed over her and she smiled "Damn that's good!"

After the meal the two teens took to their rooms. Shinji lay in bed curled up when he heard the door open, and not turned he waited pretending to be asleep. Misato looked at him, and smiled, "Shinji, thanks for what you did today. I mean, I'm sorry you had to go out there like that, but I'm glad you did. Who knows why those monsters are attacking, or what they want. But with you in Eva I'm sure things will be safe." She chuckled, "Hey, you know it might be the alcohol but you actually are kind of cute." He blushed wildly as she said that, "Ah, need to get some sleep. This damn stuff is pretty goofy-woofy."

After she went to her room he sighed, but heard another person at his door. He stayed still, but then felt someone crawl into the bed and he became rigid, "Gee, seems like somebody is kind of jumpy." Asuka giggled into his neck a little and wrapped her arms around his waist, "Wow, seems like you're really stiff! Get it!" she sat up giggling as the poor boy was absolutely loosing it, and he's bleeding at the nose. She looked to him trying to ignore her, and she now became angry, "Man, you're so stupid! Can't you even try to be a normal boy, give a little bit of some response other than rolling into a ball?" he coughed, and to that she snapped with a powerful slap of the pillow he was laying with. "Damn it! You're such a… argh!" and so she stormed off. Slamming his screen shut, he soon looked over and gulped.

"I'm never going to survive here…" the door was slammed open, he jumped as Asuka looked at him and narrowed her eyes, "I-I'm sorry!"

"Sorry?" she stormed in and stopped at his bed placing her hands on her hips, "Geez, you're pathetic. I can't believe everyone expects something from you. You're not special, you're useless." Shinji began to seem more and more depressed, Asuka bit her lower lip and said, "Shinji…" he looked up and she screamed "Get some damn sleep!"

"I would if you weren't in here bothering me!" his scream made her jump, and she stifled a yelp from it. He blushed, and whispered, "I'm sorry…"

She blinked, and asked "What was that?" she looked at him confused and said "You're so weird I mean you always say you're sorry. You need to lighten up and stuff." She now sat down, and whipping her hair he looked at it noticing how nice it was, "Hey, Shinji?"

He looked to her, and she smiled "Tell me, why you like Rei?"

"I don't like her." He rebutted, and Asuka gave a smile away from him.

"Really?"

"Yes, really!" and Asuka jumped up and turned in a big smile, "What are you smiling about?"

"Nothing, see you tomorrow we have school in a couple weeks you know! It will be loads of fun, just watch!"

She left, and Shinji looked blankly and confused. She forgot to close the door, so he got up but noticed the Penguin, Pen-Pen now waddling with a small wagon of food on his tray and into his fridge. They share looks, and then it left as Shinji closed his door saying "Right…"

* * *

Hours had passed maybe since the Titans last saw Robin and Raven. When the two reappeared Raven had an announcement. She was of course followed by Slade and Rose, along with the HIVE 5, and Justice League. Raven also called in the three girls, Power Puff Girls to come with her, and young Ben 10. "Well, are we all here?"

The many nod and Raven gave a smile, "Good. I don't have much to say but…" she started to explain things, of her powers and what she needed to do. There was confusion, distain but also much worry. Raven assured those here, and in time they quieted down. Slade, he stood forward asking "When?"

"Now." He looked to his side, and nodded. "Okay, let's go."

On Earth and in the shattered Jump City horrid monsters seemed to be gathering. Some had chained mortals and drove them in a long line like a procession. One in this line was a short blonde teen in a pink outfit, she grit her teeth as her father in a strange gray bug suit was trying to think of a way out of this. Another was with them; he was like the girl but with a punk outfit and large insect for a head. There was another, a blue skinned man in a tux and gray hairs along with long gray hairs patched around a bald spot, a little green demon who looked like the mix of a bug-eyed child with small horns sat on his head with a hat and gnawing on a black wand, "Oh, if I could just get my hands on my hat and wand you little…"

A large pale skinned man with unruly hair grumbled, "Sure thing pops, sure thing."

Mumbo Jumbo screamed, "You know what Johnny just shut up! The whole bad-boy act is getting really old!"

The two begin to bicker but are ignored. Then a blinding light pours all around and the demons one by one disappear. The group of villains look to their shackles and Mumbo, kicking his wand from the ground as it was dropped when the small demon died, now screamed "Mumbo Jumbo!" to remove their bindings. They all see the source of the light and are in awe as Titans Tower was turned into a giant glowing white cross! Then a large white bird flew down and took them up, and back to the tower. There the villains are greeted by the other titans.

"About time you got back!" snapped the man in the gray bug suit, Killer Moth, "You have any idea what has been happening?"

Kitten, the blonde screams "Tell me about it! These stupid things wrecked my room, trashed my clothes and made me be next to Fang! We broke up again, how could they?"

Fang shook his head-bug thing, "Tell me about it."

Raven shook her head too, this was getting old. "Slade?"

He gave a nod and flipped a switch from his pouches. Demons were about to re-enter as the cross was gone, but the sound of humming and storming feet made them halt. Soon a large army of mechanized droids, Slade's droids, seemed to flood out from the sewers, warehouses, and places some didn't even know existed. There was an abundance of them and the Titans with guests all were in awe, looking to Slade who shrugged, "I prefer to be prepared."

The demons ran for it this was not something they could handle without a proper strategy. Raven smirked and said "Worked like a charm. So how long those things last?"

"A couple hundred years." He saw the looks, and gave a blank one, "Didn't I just say…"

"Whatever," Raven felt the Titans move in behind her, "it really doesn't matter because Jump City is ours again. From here, we'll make more safe homes for people, and take back the world that's ours. Nothing, not the Kagejin or NERV will get in our way." She glared to an imaginary face, '_Especially not you, Scarlet or Akaige.'

* * *

_

Akaige bowed as Orochimaru disappeared into a portal. "_Well we have work to do Gaikotsu."_ The skeleton demon made a salute and bow, "_I need transport to CORE and now, we must see preparations on the facility start immediately. I have a feeling it will be one of the more important installations of our campaign."_

"Yes my lord. Sugar Man and Darkseid are waiting for you as we speak."

Just then, Dead Man walked into the tent they were in, and dropped something at their feet, "Greetings, I bring tidings of… hold on a sec!" he fell over and huffed deeply, "You know, those hound thingies are really terrible…" he then was grabbed by the heels and dragged out by hounds, "OH god, stop this madness!"

Akaige looked confused but then saw the package, he seemed delighted at the bound and gagged Wendy, "_Well, the human female who gave me such a hassle. I must say what a splendor to see you again!"_ he removed the gag and obscenity off from the next came from her mouth, he gagged her and screamed "_Well, we have a rotten mouth if ever there was one!"_

Gaikotsu looked at her, and he looked at her as in over her, "My, she's quite… nice looking." He licked his lips, "Can I have her my lord, please? I'll let you kill her but just let me play with her a little… eh-he."

Akaige looked at Gaikotsu, and then to Wendy who was crying, but stifled her cries in her throat. Even now this female was very unusual, and stubborn if not merely courageous. "_No…"_ Gaikotsu frowned as Akaige cut her bonds and removed the gag, and then he tossed her on the table pressing her down with his human arm by the throat. He raised his large claw over her face and caused a faint red glow to appear on his index claw, then scratched over her right eye making her scream as her flesh was burned leaving a red tattoo. Gaikotsu is stunned, as she was freed and then left with three burning red marks over her right eye that mimicked the span of Akaige's claw. "_From now on you are my servant, you will do what I order and as I order it. This marking," _he motioned to her burns, "_Will inform my people of who you are, and it will allow me to find you whenever I wish. For now I have nothing for you, but would be wary of venturing too far you wouldn't want me to have to find you, would you?"_

She gave a most disgusted snarl, "Go to hell!"

"_Ah, seems you've forgotten who you're talking too."

* * *

_

It was the depth of space where nothing is certain, little is known. This place was a field of debris and asteroids as if long ago a massive death of an entire world or maybe solar system had been. There is where a large metal collection of junk and parts was waiting. They were once a most powerful being, a devourer of worlds, a robotic fiend called, Unicron. The remnants of its form still remain floating about this desolate spec of space. His large head a yellow helmet type of thing over a pale white face with a nose and blue robotic eyes floats seamlessly along the area. Two matching horns also bent out of the sides of the head, and over the skull to the top. It was between those two horns stood a lone figure in red. The figure had two blazing eyes that peer over the immense beast. His eyes slink in pleasure, and then red sparks flush off the being and into the robotic head from the horns down. The blue eyes glow, and life slowly is restored to this unusual monster. Its remnants scattered now seem to glow, and reconnect slowly along the way forming little pieces of a greater jigsaw. It was uncertain when it would awaken or why it has been, but one thing was known. Unicron was more than ready to feed.

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, Justice League, X-men: Evolution, X-men: Comics, Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Devil May Cry, Tenchi Muyo, FLCL, Yu-Yu-Hakusho, Case Files, Ben 10, Danny Phantom, Power Puff Girls, Avengers, Ultron, Final Fantasy, Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Static Shock, Dragon Ball Z, Neo Genesis Evangelion, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Kingdom Hearts (Heartless), Transformers, Anastasia, Fable, and anything else I may have forgot. I take credit only for those lovely little Kagejin and a bit of the story, also the Silver Monster who is an original concept I came up with. Psychic Werewolf Assassin is the one who introduced me to Elementalism. Metal Overlord 2.0 is the one who came up with Joka, Mr. Peckers, and Orochimaru so they are his creations as well. Forgot to mention earlier, but Professor Curly is property of Professor Curly, and Grace was another great writer my friend Graceful Raven.


End file.
